The Call
by Dyna Dee
Summary: MM relationship, HeeroDuo past and future. Having left everything behind three years ago, Heero has created a new life for himself. His life seems close to perfect, but one phone call was about to changed it all.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: After an abrupt and painful breakup, Heero left everything and everyone behind to start a new life for himself. Three years later he has a new life. Known as Odin Yuy, he enjoys a challenging job, plenty of money and a no strings attached relationship with a beautiful, successful lawyer. He never expected one phone call to change everything.

**Disclaimer**. I don't own GW and sadly, there's no moneygained frommy writing stories about these characters.

**Warnings**: MM relationship. Heero:Duo, past and future, though it doesn't start out as one. Watch each chapter for warnings that will be more specific. For this chapter only, 1x 0C, lime-ish.

**The Call  
**Dyna Dee

Part One

They couldn't have asked for a better day, thought the handsome man standing on the balcony of his much envied, high-rise apartment that looked out over San Francisco Bay. The large body of seawater was dotted artistically by the many white, puffed out sails of the sailboats tacking gracefully across the water's surface. It was a sight that clearly stated the pleasant days of summer were at hand. Added to the scene below, the sun was shining brilliantly in a cloudless, pale azure sky and there was a noticeable absence of any gray bank of wet fog that would normally threaten such an ideal, early summer day. The only thing that could have made the day any better was if he could have spent it riding his mountain bike on Angel Island instead of barbequing oysters and tri-tip steak for a few of his and his lover's work associates.

"Odin?" A melodious female voice called out his name from inside the French doors of the balcony. "You're not letting the oysters overcook, are you?"

He sighed before answering, clamping down on the irritated retort that came to mind. Instead, he replied, "No, Madison. I might be distracted by the view but I'm not incompetent." He turned his attention back to the grill to check on the food and a moment later felt two slender arms slide around his sides, under his arms and wrap around his waist from behind.

"I'd never call you incompetent." Madison's voice was sultry as she whispered into his ear a scant moment before her talented tongue suggestively traced his earlobe, sending a shiver of lust straight to his groin.

"We're not alone," he reminded her, fully aware of the twenty-something people milling about in his apartment.

"Then let's hurry up and feed these moochers so we can send them on their way and go to bed for the rest of the day." She punctuated her suggestion by pressing her tongue into his ear and teased him for several moments before moving to his side.

He liked her suggestion, but being the realist that he was he knew that the party would go on for some time yet and then he'd have to deal with the after-party cleanup and preparation for work the next morning. The reality of it was that he had about an hour of spare time after everyone was gone to enjoy a very satisfying sexual romp with the leggy, redheaded vixen who was his current girlfriend. After that, he had to get her out of his place as well in order to prepare for work the coming week. "If you'll hold the serving dish, the steak and oysters are done." He gave her a playful wink and a grin, encouraging her to keep the amorous train of thought.

Their guests were polite and enthusiastic about the meal spread out before them. Madison didn't take credit for making the tasty side dishes that were offered, only for having known an amazing caterer who had provided them with everything they needed for their Sunday barbeque.

The conversation of the day had varied from comments on how the Giants and A's were doing in their respective baseball leagues, to business, stock ventures and job challenges. There were even several not so subtle questions regarding whether there was going to be an announcement of some sort coming from the dating couple. He was courteous as he skirted the topic, letting the overly curious know that he and Madison were focusing on their respective careers for the time being and that there wasn't room for much else. He let them come to their own conclusions after that.

Though the conversation was generally interesting at times as well as informative, it was a bit too much like the impersonal interactions he had at the office. He quickly grew bored and excused himself to take care of the cooling barbeque. While scraping the charred remains stuck to the grill, he reminded himself that there were better ways to spend a Sunday and that he shouldn't let Madison coerce him into spending their day together socializing with their coworkers. It was pretty much the same people and the same shop talk that he dealt with five long days of the week. He felt his weekends should be reserved as his down time, to pursue his own interests and not using them for advancing his or his girlfriend's social and business contacts.

Over the strains of the soft jazz music playing in the background, the voices and bursts of laughter coming from his living room, he heard the faint ring of his telephone. He figured Madison would pick it up or let the answering machine get it, so he ignored the sound and continued scraping the grill clean.

A couple of moments later Madison appeared next to him with a puzzled look on her face as she handed him the phone. "It's someone who says he's a friend of yours, from during the wars. He says it's urgent that he speaks with you today."

Setting the scraping tool down, he combed the fingers of his left hand through his thick hair while reaching out for the phone with his right, wondering who it was that had tracked him down. He hadn't heard from his former comrades in well over three years, and that was just fine by him. He understood very well the perplexed expression on Madison's beautiful, oval-shaped face as she handed him the phone. He hadn't told her he'd been a soldier in the past Earth/Colony wars much less a gundam pilot. Ignoring the questions in her green eyes, he cleared his throat and answered the call. "Hello."

"Heero?"

The sound of the voice on the other end of the line immediately identified the caller, and his heart and stomach both felt as if they'd flip-flopped in hearing it. He never thought he'd hear that voice again. Clamping down on his emotions he asked in an abrupt tone, "What do you want?"

"Is this a bad time? Sounds like a party going on."

"You could say that," he replied, his words clipped. "I have company."

"Oh. Ah... sorry. I... um." A child's voice in the background interrupted whatever the other man was struggling to say. It was a young girl's voice telling him she had to go to the bathroom. "I'll be right there, Zazu," the other man's voice replied gently. "Just let me finish this call, all right? Sorry," he apologized, returning his attention to the call. There was a long pause and when nothing came from Odin's side of the line to encourage the caller, the other man took the initiative and spoke with noticeable hesitance. "Look, this was a mistake. Sorry I called. I won't bother you again."

Later, when he thought back on the conversation, he could only think of it as a knee-jerk reaction when almost against his will he called out, "No, wait. Is something the matter?"

A deep, weary sounding sigh came over the phone. "I need some help, Heero. I thought that because you live in the area you might be able to give me some advice."

"Are you in San Francisco?"

"No, but we're in California. The kids and I are out here for a couple of months and we're driving up the coast now."

"Why are you here?" he demanded, his suspicious mind working overtime. "If you're thinking of getting back into my life, you can just forget about it. I've moved on."

"You always were a self-centered prick, weren't you, Heero?" came the testy reply. "Guess you haven't learned yet that the world doesn't revolve around you. And no, I'm not here for you at all. I'm driving up with the kids and I need a place to stay in the area of Palo Alto. I was just going to ask if you knew of any decent, not too expensive place we could rent for a couple of months, something that's kid-friendly."

The part Asian man laughed out loud. "You've got to be kidding me! Affordable and kid friendly in Palo Alto? You need your head examined," he told the other man, thinking his request ludicrous considering he was talking about one of the most expensive places in the state to live.

Another deep sigh was heard over the phone in response to his sarcastic humor. "Needing my head examined has never been in question, but I still need a place to stay. And believe me, I wouldn't have bothered you if it wasn't important. We had to leave home rather suddenly and I wasn't able to secure a place for us to stay ahead of time. The kids are tired, Heero, and I..." A huff of frustration came over the phone before the other turned his thoughts around. "Oh just forget it. Forget I called. I'll deal with it when I get there."

There was a trace of defeat in the other's voice that in the past he'd rarely heard from the other man, and it rattled him enough that he felt a strange but grudging urge to help him. "Where are you?"

"We're in a place called Arroyo Grande, on highway 101, going North by car."

"You're a little over three and a half, four hours away," he informed him. "Why don't you call back once you've reached Palo Alto and I'll let you know what I've found on the internet."

"Sounds great." There was a noticeable trace of relief in the other's voice. "Thanks, Heero. I know you don't owe us anything, but I wouldn't have called if I didn't honestly need the help."

The phone then went dead without either man bothering to say goodbye. Odin Yuy stared at the phone in his hand for a long moment before he turned it off.

"Who was that?"

Deep blue eyes rose to look into the inquisitive pale green ones of the woman he had sex with on a once-a-week basis. He had to clear his throat before being able to speak as a lump seemed to have formed and stuck there. "Someone from my past," he answered brusquely, his voice strangely thick.

"A romantic involvement?"

He nodded, still feeling a bit stunned by the unexpected call. There was a lot that he hadn't told Madison or anyone else in San Francisco about his past, but he was determined not to lie to her; he owed her that much. "We were legal partners and had two kids," he replied in a quiet, unemotional voice and watched the beautiful woman's eyes widened with shock at his confession. Despite his surprising revelation she remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "I haven't spoken to him in a couple of years and I'm not exactly sure how he found out where I was living or my phone number. Apparently, he's driving up the coast and needs a place to stay in Palo Alto and wondered if I could help him find a kid-friendly place where they can stay for a couple of months."

"You're a father?" she asked, a bit behind in the conversation, and obviously taken aback by the idea. "Two kids! Why didn't you tell me?"

Leaning against the iron railing on his balcony, he looked up at the mid-afternoon sky as he answered. "Because they're a part of my past. And if I remember right, I did tell you after we first got together that I had been involved in a monogamous, gay relationship." Madison nodded, silently admitting that much was true. "When he confessed to having sex with a woman from the neighborhood, I left and filed for a dissolvement of the partnership. I took off, leaving him with everything, including the kids."

"How long ago was did this happen?"

"Over three years ago."

"And you've got two kids that you haven't seen or spoken to in all that time?"

He was having a hard time deciding whether the tone in her voice was incredulous or accusatory. He decided it was a bit of both. It was clear to him that he was going to have to give her a little more information in order to nip this conversation in the bud. "He was the one who wanted kids after we'd been together a couple of years, so he asked a friend of his to become a surrogate for us. She donated the egg and carried the baby while we provided the sperm. The first baby, Eliza Suzanne, came from Duo's sperm." He paused a moment as he recalled the pretty little girl who had called him papa, and that to him she had always seemed to be so delicate and feminine. "She looked just like him," he said softly, caught in the memory. "The second baby, my son Alairic, came three years later. He was a little over six months old when I left."

Madison folded her arms and pursed her pink lips together, appearing to be at a loss as to how she should respond, so he continued. "He's going to call me back after they get to Palo Alto this evening. I told him I'd look on the internet to try and locate a place for them to stay. After that, I don't think they'll intrude on my life again."

Pale green, contemplating eyes stared at him for a moment before Madison gave a little shake of her head and said, "I'll take care of the guests and explain your absence if you want to go ahead and start your search."

Odin nodded, grateful to be released from his duties as host, gave her a quick kiss before quickly make his escape to the bedroom. While sitting at his desk waiting for his computer to boot up, his mind wandered back in time. It took only those few moments for the phone conversation he'd just had to be repeated in his mind and for past to come rushing back. He buried his head into his upraised hands as visions of his former life came back to haunt him. "Dammit, Duo. Why did you have to show up now, when I've finally gotten you out of my system?"

Several hours later Madison came into the bedroom and held out a glass of red wine to him. "Everyone's gone," she announced with a soft smile. "How's the search going?"

He frowned, still staring at the computer screen as he accepted the glass and took a sip before answering. "There seems to be a mass of student and senior citizen housing but very few openings for a single man with two kids and the prices almost rival Frisco's. I found an Extended Stay Hotel that's almost reasonable. It can be rented by the week and has a kitchenette. That might do until he can find something more to his liking." He took a sip of his wine and forced himself to accept that he'd done all he could for his former lover.

Madison sat on the edge of the desk and looked thoughtfully down on her lover. "You remember meeting Andrea, my assistant?"

Heero nodded. "The petite blond with the short curly hair and the tall husband that's some kind of doctor?"

"Good memory," she said with an appreciating smile. "Andrea and Craig Olsen. Anyway, they own a house in Palo Alto and I asked if they knew of anything available, just giving them a brief description of your search. It just so happens that they have a furnished, unoccupied granny unit in their backyard. Andrea's parents use it when they come to visit during the winter months. When I told them of your friend's predicament, Craig offered the guest house, contingent on them meeting him in person, of course. He said to have your friend call him when he gets into town and, if he's interested, they'll be glad to meet with him and see what they can work out." She handed him the yellow post-it she had in her hand with the couple's name, address and phone number neatly printed in blue ink.

He took it with a grateful smile. "That certainly makes my task easier. Good networking. Thank you."

Reaching out, the beautiful woman combed her fingers through his dark, thick and unruly hair. "Think you can show me just how much you really appreciate my helping out your ex?" Her voice was suggestive and teasing.

Putting his wine glass down next to his keyboard, he pulled her forward until she left the edge of the desk to sit on his lap. Then leaning forward he placed teasing kisses on her neck and slowly moved lower to where the cleavage of her breasts were seductively displayed under the lavender, v-neck silk blouse she wore. His open hand, meanwhile, slipped under the edge of her floral skirt and slowly moved up her long, bare and silky thigh. The redheaded woman moaned her pleasure as his fingers slipped past the elastic of her panties and caressed the feminine folds between her legs. After a few moments, he removed his hand only to gain a better hold on her hips, lifted her effortlessly in his arms and carried her to his bed. As he set her down on his dark blue comforter, his eyes glanced at the clock on the bedside table, marking the time and noting that he had precisely twenty minutes to bring them both to a climax and another half hour after that to get Madison out of his place so that he could clean up his apartment and prepare for work the next day.

The call from Duo finally came at 8:45 p.m., two hours after the time he'd expected it would come. "What took you so long?" Odin asked, clearly irritated with having been made to wait.

"It takes a lot longer to get somewhere with a seven and four year old," Duo replied, sounding tired. "Drinks, dinner and numerous potty stops take a toll on a schedule." As Duo spoke, Odin thought his former lover was trying for humor, but there was too much weariness in his voice for him to pull it off successfully.

"I have two possible places for you to check out. Do you have a pen?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

He told the other man of the Extended Stay Hotel and then the couple with the granny unit and gave him the number of both places. Duo repeated back the information to make sure he'd written it correctly. In the background, the fussing of a small child could be heard. "Hold on, Ali. Daddy's here," Duo said aside to the child, and Odin's heart did that funny flipping thing again upon hearing the voice of his son. He resisted the urge to ask how the kids were doing, telling himself that it was best to keep the three of them in the past and his phone call impersonal.

"Thanks, Heero. I appreciate the help," Duo said as he returned his attention to the call.

"Show your appreciation by not telling the people with the granny unit that we were involved. She's my girlfriend's assistant and I'd just assume that this phone call ends our interaction."

A long moment of strained silence stretch out between the two following his request, and Odin could feel an icy chill coming from the other end of the line. He would have thought from the lack of response that the other man had hung up, but he could still hear the two children in the background, one fussing and the other consoling. He then heard Duo's quiet and strained voice reply, "As you wish." The last word was followed by a loud click and a dial tone.

Once again Odin was left staring at the phone and wondered for a moment why he felt like such a heel. He reminded himself that Duo was the one who'd cheated on him. He'd been justified in washing his hands of that relationship, and with it, the family package Duo had pressured him into. He didn't want to let the pain from his past leak into the perfect life he'd carved out for himself. He was Odin Yuy now, employed as a stockbroker for Morgan Stanislaus-Barrett, a prestigious, respectable brokerage firm. He enjoyed his very lucrative job and his stock portfolio was the envy of his co-workers as was his relationship with the beautiful Madison Malone, a successful corporate attorney.

Madison was smart, sexy as hell and her desires and career goals coincided with his own. They'd agreed from the start to limit their relationship to a weekend only romance in order to concentrate on their careers. Early on in their relationship, after the first time they'd slept together, they'd both agreed to spending Saturdays following their own interests, leaving Sundays free, as much as possible, to spend together. It was a simple arrangement and it worked very well for him. His life at the moment was all he could ask for, and he didn't want Duo Maxwell and the pain their past relationship had caused him to intrude on what he'd accomplished. He pushed down any traces of guilt he felt at brushing Duo off moments earlier and turned his attention to finish preparing for the next morning, which he anticipated being yet another very productive day at work.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**The Call  
By: Dyna Dee  
Part 2**

**Warnings**: Nothing really in this chapter. Building up to angst

Odin didn't give Duo or his kids more than a fleeting thought during the next week, giving his full attention to his job. He eagerly anticipated the coming weekend, having made plans to take his mountain bike across the Golden Gate and up into the Marin headlands on Saturday for an exhilarating, scenic workout. He'd also made arrangements with Madison for their weekly get together: a late dinner Saturday night followed by spending the rest of the evening at her condo in Pacific Heights. Their Sunday would no doubt be planned in bed later that night or the next morning.

It was over dinner in an excellent but hard-to-find Vietnamese restaurant they'd discovered months earlier that Madison paused from eating her meal to study him, her expression and mood thoughtful.

"What?" he asked after noticing her unyielding gaze.

"Do you know what happened with your ex and kids after you talked to him last week?" she asked.

He wasn't pleased with her line of inquiry. "No," he replied rather sharply, then took another bite of his food. From the corner of his eye he saw Madison frown.

"Aren't you the least bit curious? Don't you care?"

He reigned in his irritation. This was not the line of conversation he wanted to have with his girlfriend that night. "He's more than capable of taking care of himself and them." He purposely used a frosty tone of voice in trying to warn her off of the subject.

Slumping in a feminine manner against the back of her chair, the beautiful redhead looked at him with an expression akin to disbelief and disappointment. "I don't understand you, Odin. How can you have two children and just walk away from them? Don't you have any visitation rights?"

He grit his teeth, seeing she wasn't going to let this go, and put his chop sticks down, his appetite waning. "Duo was the nurturer," he began. "He's the one who wanted kids in the first place and he more or less coerced me into agreeing to the whole surrogate thing. He quit his job to take care of them and, frankly, he did a good job. Despite the fact that he was unfaithful, I can't deny that he's a great father. When we split up, it only made sense that he retain custody. I left him everything: the house, cars and most of what I had in our bank accounts and considered that child support."

"But why?" she asked, still not satisfied with his answer as she tried to understand his decision. "Didn't you love them?"

Inwardly, he winced at the accusation. Of course he'd loved them, especially Duo, probably too much. He lowered his voice to a near whisper as he answered her question while the old, nearly forgotten pain in his heart flared to life once again. "I was devastated by his betrayal," he confessed. "As the provider for our family, I'd spent so little time with the kids that I didn't know how to take care of them. And as angry as I was with my partner, I couldn't take his kids away. He was the better parent, a nurturer at heart. I knew they were better off left in his care than they would have been in mine. Considering the state of mind I was in, I probably would have turned them against him out of spite. Back then I wanted him to hurt as much as I did after his confession." He stopped at that point as the pain he'd shut away for so long began to rise to the surface once more. He figured it must have shown on his face or been apparent by the tenseness of his body because Madison reached out her pale, manicured hand and gently placed it over his own as it rested on the tabletop.

"Andrea and Craig met with Duo last Sunday night," she gently informed him. "They liked him at once, and because I recommended him as a friend of yours they gave him a good deal on the cottage. Andrea didn't say much about Duo except that he's drop dead gorgeous, and she and Craig have no idea you two were involved. She did, however, go on and on about the children, that they're absolutely delightful."

"If you don't mind, Madison," he cut into her telling him any more about Duo, his physical attributes and situation, "I'd rather not talk about them anymore."

The woman's soothing hand stilled, then slowly pulled back and off of his own. She turned her eyes to her plate and eventually picked up her chop sticks. "As you wish," she said, obviously hurt by his bluntness. He stared at her a moment, shaken a bit that her statement of acquiescence was identical to Duo's the week before, when he'd requested his ex-lover not contact him again.

The evening pretty much went downhill from there and Sunday didn't fare much better.

The following weekend turned out much better than the last. Madison wisely refrained from making any comment regarding Duo and the children, and the life of the well-to-do urban professionals continued as it had before that pivotal day when the phone call came and Duo asked for his help.

It was while accompanying Madison at her company's Fourth of July picnic in Golden Gate Park that he became re-acquainted with his girlfriend's assistant and her tall, blond husband. It was a casual affair, with the women dressed in crisp and bright designer sun dresses and the men in pleated khaki's and polo shirts, all chatting about current events and their recent or planned vacations abroad.

As soon as Andrea Olsen's eyes spotted him in the crowd, the petite woman made a beeline in his direction. Upon reaching his side, she began talking excitedly. "Hello, Odin. It's good to see you again," she said almost breathless with excitement. "Thank you so much for telling your friend about our cottage. Duo is wonderful and his children are absolutely precious. Zazu is going to be a major heartbreaker one day and... well, Ali, he's already got a grip on my heart. I can't tell you how much we're enjoying them."

"I believe the girl's name is Eliza Suzanne and the boy's is Alairic," he said, a bit too frostily. It always irked him that Duo insisted on calling their children by silly pet nicknames after they'd spent months before they were born debating over what to name them. He'd pondered many names for over two months before selecting one for his son. He chose Alairic, a favorite colony name, mainly because it sounded like the name of a strong man. He'd figured that any child of his and Duo's, especially a boy, would need to be a strong individual in order to live up to their fathers' pasts of having been gundam pilots.

"Oh. Yes." She blinked at his abrupt manner. "I believe Duo told me that when we were first introduced, but their nicknames seem to suit them so much better. Ali's so little and cute that you just want to hug him to pieces. It's just so sad that..." Her comment was cut off by the sudden appearance of her husband who came up to her from behind and put his arm around his petite wife's shoulders. As she looked up into his face, something passed between them.

"What's just too bad?" Odin asked, curious as to where she'd been going with that unfinished sentence.

Craig Olson answered for his wife. "It's too bad Duo doesn't have anyone to share the burden of raising his children. It's easy to see he's exhausted from caring for the two of them. How is it that you two know each other? Duo only told us that you met as teenagers."

"Yes," he answered, pleased that Duo had kept his part of the bargain by not telling the couple of their former relationship. "We were friends going to the same school together but something happened and we parted ways. What's he doing, occupation wise?" He hoped to divert the conversation to something less personal

"He didn't tell you?" Craig asked, and his wife looked surprised at his obvious lack of knowledge concerning the little family.

"No, we haven't spoken to each other in several years other than his surprise call that first Sunday he came into town. He only called me then to inquire about a place to stay."

"I suppose as his landlords we're not at liberty to say what he's doing, job wise," the tall blond man said in a friendly but guarded manner. "We have a confidentiality agreement."

Odin supposed it made sense that Duo had requested his private information remain just that. He'd asked Duo to keep quiet about their past and he in turn was being kept from learning anything about him. He mentally shrugged, supposing it was only fair. The conversation quickly stagnated after that. Once the topic of Duo and the kids had been more or less labeled taboo, a schism formed between himself and the other two, having little to nothing in common. Andrea's earlier enthusiasm to speak about their renters had disappeared, greatly dampened by her husband's presence. Trying to fill the awkward moment, the petite blond woman fumbled with some polite, banal comments about the weather. Seeing Madison nearby, Odin excused himself from the Olsons and went to her side, determined to avoid the other couple as much as possible for the rest of the party.

Unfortunately, their conversation about Duo and their kids seemed to hover at the back of his mind and came unbidden into his thoughts throughout the remainder of the day and much more often than he was comfortable with. He couldn't wait for the long holiday weekend to be over so he could get back to work in the morning and focus his thoughts on something more productive.

As the month of July progressed, Odin noticed a distance growing between himself and Madison. They still spent Sundays together but there was just something in her manner that was... off. Then finally, on August 1st, he decided to confront her with the situation after they'd attended the weekend's performance of Shakespeare in the Park. He was becoming irritated by her aloofness and wanted to know what was causing it. "What's going on with you?" he asked as she fished through her purse for her keys. "Are you mad at me?"

She unlocked the door to her apartment and motioned him in. "Want something to drink?"

"Coffee and an answer to my question," he replied as she shut and locked the door behind him.

"Odin." She turned to him, her unsmiling face displayed her seriousness and belied the playfulness of her light and airy green summer dress. "What do you think of us? Do you ever envision a future with me playing a more significant part in your life?"

The red warning flags went up in his mind in response to those two questions, knowing that answering relationship questions was like walking through a field of land mines. But he realized that in answering them he might be able to find out what was going on in Madison's mind. If he didn't, or fudged on his answers, he'd risk having everything they had going together blow up in his face. "I thought you were happy with our relationship the way it is," he replied, skirting around a direct answer while moving to sit on her blue leather sofa.

Madison didn't look happy as she followed him. "I am... for the time being. But eventually, someday, I'd like to marry and have a child or two. I guess I'm just coming to a point in our relationship where I need to know if you might have similar goals or not."

Heero leaned back and tilted his chin up until his eyes were focused on the ceiling above him and contemplated for a moment about how he should respond. With some hesitance, he answered. "I was legally partnered once and have two kids. I don't think I want to go through that again." The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to drop... drastically, despite the warmness of the summer day.

"Do you love me, Odin?"

Taking a deep breath, he answered truthfully. He owed her that. "I care for you, Madison, and I enjoy our time together. Maybe one day I'll find myself in love with you." Seeing the unhappy frown on her face, he tried to explain himself. "You have to understand that I've only loved one person in my life, and he took that love and ground it under his heels. I don't know if I can give my heart to anyone like that again."

Taking a quick, deep breath, Madison closed her green eyes for a moment, considering her next move. When she opened them again, there was a look of decisiveness in them, one he'd learned to be wary of. "I don't think our arrangement is working any longer. At least it isn't for me," she said, sadly resolute. "I've always felt here's been something missing in our relationship, Odin. Sure, we're more than sexually compatible, but there's always been a part of you that's held back from getting emotionally attached. Maybe I didn't really want to see it for what it was, but I honestly couldn't put my finger on it was until I learned about Duo and the kids. Did you know that I've met them?"

That revelation took him by surprise. "Why would you do that?" he asked, feeling betrayed and angry. "Why would you go behind my back to see them?"

Madison shrugged her slender, slightly freckled shoulders. "You didn't say I couldn't and frankly I was curious, so I got Andrea to invite me down and introduce me to this mysterious lover of yours."

"Ex lover," he insisted, frowning deeply.

"Andrea was right," Madison continued, ignoring his comment and scowl. "Duo Maxwell is definitely one of the most handsome men I've ever met. Not only does he have a smile and hair that would make anyone green with envy, but he was absolutely charming, naturally flirtatious, and totally devoted to his adorable children. For most women, that's a very attractive trait. Did you know that Ali looks just like you? It's amazing really that Andrea hasn't guessed your connection to them."

"What do you hope to achieve by telling me this?" he ground out through clenched teeth, his anger rising at her baiting. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"No." She scoffed at the idea, then sobered. "I'm not sure why I'm telling you anything. But I can understand how you fell for him. He seems to be able to charm anyone he decides to be friendly to. Andrea and Craig, for example, have become his devoted protectors. They send meals back to the cottage at least twice a week and offer to take the kids in order for Duo to get some rest. And though he didn't know who I was, other than Andrea's friend, he certainly won me over. He's probably someone I should be jealous of, having had a part of you that I never will, but I can't find it in me to think badly of him."

"Good for him," Heero grumbled sarcastically. Hearing about Duo's innate ability to win other people and earn their devotion somehow chafed. After all, it had been that same natural charm and physical appeal that had won him over during the war.

The redhead's intelligent eyes studied him thoughtfully for a moment, and he wasn't sure he liked being put under the proverbial microscope and judged as she was obviously doing. "I can't help but wonder why you turned your back on him so completely, or the children," Madison said after a moment. "Did you truly love him or was he merely a convenience... like me?"

Her words stung. He leveled an unhappy glare in her direction. "Of course I loved him. He was everything to me. I was trained early in my youth to set aside my emotions, to care for nothing but my..." He stopped abruptly, almost having said mission to a person who had no idea who or what he'd been. "Educational and career goals," he finished saying without much of a skip. "We met as teenagers when the colonies were at war with Earth, and the moment I became acquainted with Duo everything in my world changed. The little bastard immediately set his mind to breaking down the walls I'd built around my emotions, trying to figure out what made me tick. Being colony kids, we were both involved in the wars, and when they were finally over I had become so besotted by him that it made me question my motives and the life I'd planned out for myself. Knowing him and then desiring to be with him made me want to live my life differently, to leave behind my training and to learn more about love and to share every day of my life with him."

Madison sat motionless, listening to every word he said, and he could tell by her expression that it was killing her not to ask further about his involvement in the war he'd just spoken of. He could see doubt in her eyes, probably thinking he had been much too young to have been involved in the past wars. He inwardly smirked, thinking of just how surprised Madison would be if she had even an inkling about just how much a part of the wars he and Duo had been.

"How old were you when you first met?" she asked.

"Fifteen."

Her eyes widened with shock. "And when did you become legal partners?"

"As soon as we became legal at eighteen."

"So what happened?" She settled further into the couch, bringing her long, slender legs up onto the cushions and curled them to the side.

"We were recruited into the Preventers Organization, and for two years we were happy just being together. Then Duo began to hint at having a family. Because he'd been abandoned as a child and had a rough childhood, he'd always craved to be 'normal', to live like everyday people. In his mind normal meant having a family. He told me he loved kids and thought it would complete us as a couple to have one or two of our own."

At this point in the story, he slumped down further in the sofa, a very uncharacteristic pose for him, as the weight of past memories came back. Putting his hand over his eyes, he tried to shut out the painful images that came flashing into his mind. He continued speaking, suddenly despondent. "I couldn't understand why he wasn't as content as I was with just the two of us. There was absolutely no desire within me for any offspring. I was completely content with my life and having Duo all to myself." He shook his head, trying to shake off the memories that came rushing back, bringing with them the pain of loss he'd felt during the first year after he'd left him. "I knew it was selfish to think that way, but I couldn't help it. It hurt that he obviously didn't feel the same way about me."

"You eventually gave in to him," Madison stated, pushing some of her long and loose red hair back behind her shoulder as she stated the obvious, knowing they had two kids.

"I loved him enough to give him whatever he needed to be happy, though it took him a year to get my consent. His friend Hilde volunteered to be a surrogate for us, donating her own eggs. We used Duo's sperm for the first child and it took the very first time she was inseminated. Nine and a half months later, Eliza Suzanne was born." A slight smile came unknowingly to his face as he recalled that particular time in his life. "She was funny looking at first, and loud. She cried a lot and demanded constant attention." He chuckled, and without thinking he added, "Just like her father. Because of the chronic crying, we took her to the doctor to find out what was wrong. He said she suffered from colic, and Duo ended up quitting his job because we couldn't find anyone willing to take such a fussy baby into their daycare. The neighbors complained about the crying and we eventually had to consider moving. Duo suggested we relocate to a more family-friendly environment. So before buying a home in Washington, D.C., where we lived and worked, I looked into the possibility of transferring to another city. I found an opening with the Preventers office in Denver. Duo did the research and decided Colorado would be a great place to raise children, so we packed up and moved there as soon as my transfer came through.

"We bought a home in the suburbs, an average track home in a nice neighborhood with three bedrooms, two baths with a large, fenced back yard. Eliza eventually grew out of the colicky stage and she began to sleep through the night, and for a while we were happy again. Duo stayed home with the baby and I worked to support us. We were the picture of the happy family that Duo had created for us."

"And then?"

"Paulina Stanley moved into the neighborhood at about the same time Hilde was again inseminated. This time it was with my sperm fertilizing her eggs. Duo was so happy he couldn't stop smiling, and his happiness was always contagious.

"In preparation for the new baby, I started to take on some extra jobs outside of my regular work. I also enrolled at the local Jr. College and took a couple classes on investing and business and began to dabble in the stock market, hoping to get a bit more ahead in supporting my growing family. Because of the extra workload, I came home at the end of each day feeling utterly spent. All I really wanted to do when I walked through the front door was to relax and go to sleep. Duo always greeted me warmly and as I ate the dinner he'd saved for me, he talked about the kids, his day and Paulina. Because she had several young children herself, they wound up going places and doing things together. I didn't think much about it at first, just that Duo had made yet another friend.

"Hilde came to live with us two months before Alairic's birth. It was Hilde who alerted me to Paulina, saying she thought the other woman had designs on Duo and that she was getting more and more forward with him. I spoke to Duo about it, but he assured me that everything was "cool". After Alairic's birth and Hilde returned to L-2 a month later, I noticed that Duo and I seemed to be growing apart. I thought it was normal considering our changing situation. I was working longer hours and going to classes at night while he was busy with both kids. Neither of us seemed to have any time or energy to spare for the other after I got home, usually around nine most week nights.

"Two months after his birth, I called home to see how Alairic was doing after getting his first immunization shots and Paulina answered the phone. Duo and I had an ugly argument that night about her being over at the house all the time. He accused me of not trusting him and asked if he'd ever given me a reason to doubt him before. He hadn't, so I felt I had no choice but to continue trusting him.

"A few months later, a week after Eliza's fourth birthday, Duo called me at work and asked me to come home. He sounded upset, so I did as he asked and rushed home, not knowing what to expect. I found him sitting on the sofa looking miserable and guilty. He told me the kids were napping and asked me to sit next to him so we could talk. I could tell by the drawn look on his face that I wasn't going to like whatever he was going to say to me, and I was right. He confessed, shamefaced, that he'd been unfaithful to me with Paulina."

"Had it been on-going?" Madison asked, her face filled with sympathy for him.

"He said it had only happened once, that afternoon, and that he was sorry and asked for my forgiveness."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." Sitting up, he wished fervently for a shot of whisky. The pain he felt that day, and again every time he thought about that moment, was why he'd pushed Duo and his kids out of his mind and life for the last three years. He didn't want to relive it again. "I went upstairs, packed my bags and left. I got a lawyer the next day and filed for the dissolution of our partnership and left town." He couldn't believe how, after all this time, it still hurt to talk about the events of that day.

After taking a deep breath he continued. "I wandered around for a bit, angry and trying to find the will to go on, and eventually found myself here in San Francisco. I liked it here, and after a week of looking around and seeing opportunities for employment, I decided this was where I would start my life again. I put my past behind me, gave myself a new name and began a new career."

"And that was it? You left and never spoke to him again?"

"Yes."

"Where was your closure, Odin?"

He paused to think a moment, then answered, "It came when the dissolution papers were returned to me, signed and dated. That part of my life was officially over from that moment on." Once again he felt uncomfortable as he witnessed the frown of disapproval from the woman he'd slept with almost every Sunday for the past year.

Looking him straight in the eye, Madison spoke her mind. "You're a selfish, heartless bastard, aren't you, Odin?"

He was surprised by the charge in her demeanor, her display of anger, and the coldness in her voice. "I only did what was needed," he said, defending himself while clamping down on his own rising anger caused by her judgement of his past actions.

"For who? Yourself or your family?" she asked, her chin visibly quivering as she fought not to cry while her pale green eyes, filling with moisture, continued to bore into him. "Face it, Odin, you were selfish. My God, he made a mistake. From what you said he was genuinely upset about what he'd done and had enough integrity to confess to you, asking for forgiveness. And what did you do? You took his obviously raw and exposed feelings and shoved them in your suitcase. Thank God I got to see this side of you before I ever contemplated having a more permanent relationship or possibly even children with you," she said heatedly. "One wrong mistake and I would probably have earned your desertion."

"I'm not a quitter," he growled out, having a difficult time remaining civil.

"Yes, you are," she argued. "By leaving Duo and your children you quit as a partner, a friend and a father. In my book you're the biggest quitter of them all!" She then stood up from her position on the couch as if unable to bear his presence any longer and walked briskly towards the front door. "I wondered before meeting Duo what there was about him that could have attracted you enough to be his partner. Now I have to wonder what the hell he saw in you." Putting her visibly trembling hand on the knob, Madison then turned to face him again, her usually placid and lovely face was now red with anger and showed strain from holding back her emotions.

"We're done, Odin. After sleeping together for a year, I finally figured out that before today all I really knew about you is that you're great in bed. You never shared your past with me and you were only willing to commit one day a week to our relationship. Other than Sundays, you had no other feelings of commitment towards me, did you, Odin? I was a fool to think I didn't need anything more than that in my life." She then opened the door and motioned with her head for him to leave. He stood from his place on the sofa to leave, yet as he passed by her on his way out, Madison spoke to him once again, her voice trembling a bit, but not with anger. "I have one last parting gift to give you. Do with it what you will, but my conscience will be clear after I say this."

He stopped in front of her and debated whether or not he should listen to her have another go at him again or if he should just leave. Yet there was something in her eyes, however, that kept him in place, a softening that somehow looked sad. "Go see your kids. Take your now freed-up Sundays and spend an hour or two with them."

"It's better left as it is," he replied, dismissing her advice. "Duo has the kids and his life and I have mine."

"Odin, get past yourself," she said wearily. The look of sadness in her expression intensified and he wondered who she had these feeling for, herself, him or Duo and the kids. She continued, but her voice was more imploring than angry now. "You're not stupid. Think about it for a moment. Why do you think Duo came to Palo Alto? Put those superior reasoning skills of yours to work and come up with a valid reason why he's here for only a few months."

"What are you hinting at?" he asked sharply, a tingle of warning itching at the back of his mind.

"I'm not at liberty to tell you what I was told in confidence as to what's going on. I just hope, for all your sakes, that you can pull yourself out of your self-imposed pity party before it's too late."

Her words hung in the air between them as he walked out the door, but before she could shut it, he blocked it with his foot and faced her once again. "What do you mean before it's too late?"

"Get your foot out of the door, Odin," she demanded, her voice stern.

"Just tell me."

"Think about it. What draws people to Palo Alto?"

"Jobs?"

"Think again."

"The university?"

"You're getting warmer."

"The medical facilities?"

"Bingo! Give the dog a bone," she said with exaggerated sarcasm.

It suddenly felt as if a giant hand had taken hold of his chest and squeezed it... hard. All the barriers he'd built up around that pumping muscle to protect it from getting hurt again cracked. His first thought was, Oh please, not Duo. And then he felt immense guilt in realizing he'd thought of his ex-lover before their children. He was sure Duo would have done the opposite. His thoughts must have shown on his face because in the next moment, Madison placed a hand on his arm.

"You still care for them, don't you?" She asked with a softening of her attitude once again. "Maybe the real reason you've held me at arm's length all this time is because your heart still belongs to three others, no matter how hard you try to deny it."

He wasn't able to answer her, still stunned by the revelation that something was physically wrong with Duo or one of their children. "You won't tell me what's wrong?" he asked, hoping she'd give in.

His hopes were dashed when she shook her head. "No. I think it's better that you find out for yourself." Leaning forward, she gave him a short but sweet farewell kiss on the lips, then stepped back to place her hand on his cheek. "Goodbye, Odin. It was good while it lasted and I have very few regrets. Good luck, and I hope you find the happiness you seek."

With a sad smile, Madison backed into her apartment and slowly closed the door on him and their romantic involvement. He supposed that this was what she'd meant by closure; they'd both said goodbye and were going their separate ways on fairly good terms. That was certainly something he hadn't done with Duo. With a troubled heart and mind, he turned from the closed door, shoved his hands into his pockets, and slowly walked away from his year-long relationship with Madison and towards his car parked several blocks away.

**TBC**

**Author's note**: A heartfelt thanks toeveryone who left a review or emailed me. And yeah, a guy leaving his kids likeHeero appears to have donein this story isharsh. Unfortunately it happens all the time, and not just by men. To answer a few questions, the guys are about 28-29 at the beginning of this story. And to **Ely**: I don't think I've ever killed one of the pilots in my stories, but all other charactersare certainly up for grabs. For example, in _Tangled in the Web_, Iwrote the untimely demise totwo elderly people. How heartless is that? Well, one of them deserved it. If you are as tender hearted as you seem to be, you might want to skip tothe eighth chapter... after it's been posted. I'll post chapter 3 as soon as I can, but I'm taking off for an eight day vacation to Kauai, does the happy, happy, joy, joy dance so it will be at least a week and a half before I can post again. Well, that is if I survive my fearof flying while getting onto a total of 6 airplanes.


	3. Chapter 3

I had to re-post this because I found a lot of spacing between words had disappeared after editing on the edit page. I'll try it again and see if this turns out any better.

**The Call  
By: Dyna Dee  
Part 3**

Heero didn't go to Palo Alto the next Sunday as Madison suggested. Instead, he got on the internet and, using their old email addresses, attempted to contact his former friends, hoping to find out what was going on with Duo and their children.

It really didn't come as a surprise that Quatre was the only one to respond to his inquiry later that night. In a polite but distinctly chilly note he told Heero that after nearly four years of distancing himself from them he would have to get any information he wanted from Duo. The corporate executive added a warning that he should tread with caution. If he should hurt Duo again, the blond would consider his actions justified in seeing that it would never happen again. He re-read the warning several times and was surprise at Quatre's thinly veiled threat. His own ire began to rise in response to it. Quatre, as usual, was being blindly loyal and biased towards Duo. He'd always had a soft spot for his former lover. Heero bristled at the thought that if any one deserved their former friends' sympathy, it should have been him. After all, he was the one who'd been hurt by Duo's actions. He was the one who'd been wronged when Duo cheated on him. What right did Quatre have taking sides anyway? It then dawned on him that perhaps Duo hadn't told their friends the truth behind their break up. Yet that bitter thought slipped away as quickly as it had come. It just didn't sit right because Duo never lied. It was the one thing you could trust implicitly about the man. If their friends had asked him what had happened between them, why he had suddenly disappeared from their lives, Duo knew would have told them the truth, even if it made him look bad.

He left his room feeling dissatisfied with his brief contact with Quatre. Speaking to the blond had left him feeling a measure of regret at the loss of his former friends. He knew, of course, that he had only himself to blame for he'd been the one who walked away from everything and cut off everyone from his past, and it had also been his decision not to make contact with them.

As he walked into his living room, he noticed for the first time in three years that the quiet surrounding him was absolute, feeling almost oppressive. He stood there a moment and let his eyes scan and the modern decor that filled his apartment. Thanks to Madison's decorating talents, the empty living space he'd purchased upon arriving in San Francisco had become filled with carefully selected items that were bent to his taste. Overall, he thought it was an eye-appealing living space. The entire apartment bore furniture and accessories that had straight, clean lines. There were now pictures on the walls of the picturesque city he lived in plus modern, masculine knickknacks on the tables and shelves that gave the discerning eye something interesting to gaze upon. He even had green silk plants in the corners and beautiful potted orchids that were strategically placed about the room, softening the harder lines. Yet now, for the first time in three years, he realized his home looked like a showroom for some Scandinavian Design ad. Though the room reflected his tastes with stream-lined furniture, predominantly black and white, set in a meticulously clean, uncluttered living space, it was devoid of warmth and charm... so much like himself, he thought.

It seemed strange to him how he'd unwittingly set the decor to reflect his own personality and lifestyle after leaving his family, given that it was in complete contrast to the home he and Duo had once shared. He could still see that first home in his mind after nearly four years absence. It had been a warm and homey place where the furniture had been comfortable and the general ambiance inviting. Only now did he suspect that he'd unconsciously fashioned not only his apartment to be the exact opposite of his former home with his ex-lover, but the rest of his life as well. The change in decor alone was obviously an attempt to forget everything he'd once had by replacing it with something completely different, cold and austere.

Duo, he recalled, had been the embodiment of brightness and warmth in his life, both during and after the wars. The home they'd shared had been filled with not only laughter and love, but also overstuffed and comfortable furniture that you could easily sink into and take a nap on during a lazy afternoon. It was a place that he'd longed to return to after a busy day at work. He'd always thought it was just Duo that he'd craved to be with when he drove home at the end of each day, but he now realized that it hadn't been just his lover, it had been the whole package that had been conceived and put together by Duo, including their home and family.

The ache and pain that he'd buried so deeply within his closed-off heart came rushing back like a tsunami, suddenly and catastrophically. Stumbling back to his bedroom, his fingers fumbled clumsily as he removed his clothing and fell onto his bed, clutching his pillow tightly to his chest to try and ease the pain. He attempted to calm his mind and heart, to get back to the state of numbness he'd willingly lived in for so long, but his former training eluded him this time.

Hours later, his mind finally quieted enough to allow him to slip into a more restful state and sleep began encroaching on his awareness. His last conscious thought was: Please, don't let it be Duo.

It was several weeks later, in the latter part of August, that Heero finally brought himself to follow Madison's advice. She'd sent him an encouraging nudge by emailing him Andrea and Craig Olsen's address in Palo Alto and their phone number. She added the simple message of good luck. Her email had been short and concise, and he figured it was probably the last one he would ever receive from her. He missed her, but their parting of ways hadn't hurt as much he thought it would. He'd begun to wonder if she'd been right after all, that a great part of his heart was already occupied, even unknowingly, with Duo and the kids. It was conceivable that the situation between them was still unresolved, keeping him from truly getting on with his life. He came to the grudging conclusion that he needed the closure she'd spoken of and began to think that perhaps he'd been too hasty in giving Duo total custody of their kids. What would Duo would say if he asked for visitation rights while they were still in the area?

Sunday the twenty-first began in a shroud of heavy morning fog that blanketed the city. Pulling out of his parking spot in his sleek, black sports car, he had to turn on the windshield wipers almost immediately in order to clear the glass of moisture to see the road properly. He drove through the city towards Nineteenth Avenue and eventually Highway 280, going South, and made an effort to try and enjoy the scenic rolling-hills drive to Palo Alto. Despite the soft jazz music he'd put on to calm his nerves, worry and anxiety gnawed at his stomach as he wondered what reaction he could expect from Duo by his sudden, unannounced visit.

He was pleased to see the fog beginning to dissipate as he drove southward and the sun burst through the grayness after he passed the exit to San Mateo. His mood lightened considerably with the arrival of the late summer sunshine and its welcomed warmth. Following the directions he'd gotten from the internet, he took the Sand Hill exit as indicated and eventually found himself driving into the city of Palo Alto. Driving down the designated street, he slowed to check the house numbers against the address Madison had given him for the residence of Andrea and Craig Olsen. With a satisfied sigh, he pulled over, having found his destination.

Parking his car directly in front of the stately home, he noted the small, white station wagon that was parked in front of him with a luggage carrier strapped to the top and a Colorado license plate. It had to be Duo's. He couldn't help but wonder what happened to the SUV he'd bought for him to tote the kids around in. He'd left that as well as his smaller, two door coup behind on the day he'd walked out, opting to take his motorcycle instead. He let the questions regarding the car go, figuring it was only reasonable to assume that during the nearly four years he'd been gone any number of things must have changed in Duo's life.

He walked up the driveway, eying the neatly trimmed, well maintained yard and the house in front of him. It was an older, impressively large two-storey home. He couldn't recall exactly what kind of doctor Craig Olsen was but he had to be pretty successful in his field considering the fine piece of real estate before him, set in one of the most expensive areas in the bay area.

Following the path along the side of the garage (which he'd been told would lead him to the back yard) he felt like a trespasser entering private property without permission. He shrugged off the feeling knowing this was the only way to the cottage Madison had told him about. Rounding the back-end corner of the Olson's home, he came upon a large grassy yard filled with flowering bushes, leafy trees and a lush lawn. At first glance the granny unit, set in the right corner, appeared to be a quaint cottage, painted white and resembling a doll house more than a practical residence. It was small, and he supposed that if it wasn't set up like a studio apartment then it would most likely contain a main room, one bedroom and bath. There was little doubt that it would be a bit cramped for Duo and two kids, for he remembered that along with kids came a lot of clothing, toys and other necessities.

Just outside the cottage door and stretched out on the green lawn was a long blue sheet of plastic with a hose attached to one end. On the other end was a small pool of water. Toys were scattered around the grassy area, evidence of the children living there. A shiver of anticipation as well as nervousness shook his frame in knowing that the toys belonged to his children.

He approached the cottage and heard the sounds of a television game show coming through the screen door. Taking a deep steadying breath, he knocked on the outside door trim and waited. He really wasn't prepared to be greeted by a little person who was the exact replica of his former lover, minus the age and obvious gender differences.

"Who are you?" Eliza asked him. He took a second to observe the girl, his and Duo's daughter. Through the screen he could see she wore a pink and white floral short set. Her slender arms and legs were brown, tanned from time spent outdoors in the summer sun. Her long, thick auburn hair was pulled into two pony tails just above her ears and the ends fell to brush several inches below and over the front her shoulders.

"I'm looking for your father," he told her. "Can he come to the door?"

The little girl frowned. "He's with Ali, trying to get him to take a nap. Can I give him a message?"

"No," he answered, rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans, a outward sign of his nervousness. "I've come from the city and need to speak with him. Would it be all right if I wait?"

"I can't let you in," the miniature female version of Duo answered. "But you can sit over there on the patio and wait if you want to."

He nodded, noting that the little girl seemed very responsible for such a young age. "Thank you," he replied, then forced himself to turn and leave her, moving across the lawn to the indicated waiting area adjacent to the Olsen's home, noting briefly the impressive rod-iron patio furniture.

Not more than five minutes passed before a door behind him opened and Andrea Olsen came out of her home, dressed in tan khaki shorts and a white, sleeveless cotton blouse. "Odin! Hello!" she greeted him with an unsure smile, barely covering up her surprise at his sudden appearance in her backyard.

"Morning," he answered in a rather clipped tone.

"You're here to see Duo?"

He nodded, not feeling any desire to talk to her. She was, after all, Madison's assistant.

"Oh... good," she said hesitantly and the atmosphere between them became awkward as she sensed his reluctance to chit chat. "I was just going to the grocery store and I thought I'd see if Duo needs me to pick anything up for him."

Heero shrugged. "He's putting Alairic down for a nap, but Eliza's inside."

"Okay. Guess I'll check with her. Enjoy your visit." Andrea more or less bolted for the cottage. Once she stood before the screen door, she spoke in a quiet voice to the little girl guarding the entrance. Heero watched as a piece of paper, no... an envelope was passed from behind the screen to the woman. The petite blond called out a soft and cheery farewell and, to his irritation, she called the girl Zazu. Andrea quickly walked back to the main house, pausing for just a moment to give him a small bit of advice. "You might not want to visit too long. It's been a rough week and Duo's very tired."

Heero nodded, wondering why she was so protective of his ex-lover. His curiosity, however, was overshadowed by the worry that gnawed at his stomach, fearing Duo was the reason they'd come to the area to see the specialists at Stanford's renowned medical facility.

Some time later, the distant sound of a familiar, low-timbered voice caught his attention and it was followed by Eliza's recognizable higher one. Before he was even aware of moving, he was out of his seat, across the lawn and standing before the screen door to the cottage once again. His heart was suddenly pounding rapidly against the inside of his chest.

He knocked at the door once more and watched as Duo, standing inside and no more than ten feet from where he stood, turned to face him. A look of shock and surprise flashed across the familiar face from seeing who it was on his doorstep. The expression was quickly replaced by a narrowing of his eyes and a wary look of suspicion. As he walked towards the door, Heero took in the sight of his former lover. Duo was wearing long denim shorts and a white tee-shirt that hung loosely from his shoulders. His first impression was that Duo looked good, even with his vision blurred by the dense mesh over the screen door. But as his ex-lover came to a stop in front of him, he revised that thought, realizing that Duo was thin, very thin. His cheek bones were more prominent than he'd ever known them to be, even during the war. And the blue eyes he'd once lost himself in were dark circled and pained looking.

"What do you want?" Duo asked, his voice low and sharp.

"Hello, Duo," he replied civilly, keeping his voice calm. He hoped to show the other man that he didn't have any ulterior motives in visiting him. "Can we talk?"

"I don't think we have anything to talk about, Heero. You made it more than clear that you wanted nothing to do with us. I've honored your request, now how about you return the favor and leave us the hell alone."

"Duo, please," Heero began, but stopped short when Eliza peeked around her father's side to get a good look at him.

"What's the matter, Daddy?"

Heero watched as Duo looked down at his daughter and his face softened considerably as he smiled reassuringly at her. "Nothing, Zazu. Why don't you get your swimsuit on and bring out the sun screen. You can go on the Slip and Slide for a while if you promise to keep your voice down so Ali can sleep."

Looking warily towards the stranger, the girl reluctantly agreed and disappeared into what Heero decided was the bathroom. "She looks just like you," he told Duo, but even that simple comment seemed enough to set the other man off.

"Look, Heero. I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm too tired to try and figure it out. Why don't you just turn around and go back to your beautiful girlfriend and the perfect world you've probably created for yourself and forget about us... again. You're good at that, so it shouldn't be so hard to do now."

Duo moved to shut the inside door and Heero knew a moment of panic, seeing his last chance at finding out what was going on diminishing. "Are you all right, Duo?" he rushed to say. "Are you sick?"

He became more concerned as he watched the thin, braided-hair man stiffen a moment only to lean wearily against the doorjamb, putting his forehead against it as he fought to contain his emotions. "Oh, God," he whispered in a shaky voice. "If only it was me. I'd give anything for it to be me."

All the hurt, anger and feelings of betrayal he'd felt towards Duo slipped away as he watched the man he once believed he could never live without struggle not to break down... and fail. Without thinking, Heero opened the screen door and put his arm around the shaking shoulders. With no resistance from Duo, he lead the other man to the blue and white striped sofa, positioned in the middle of the small living room. At a glance, he made a quick note of the interior. As he'd guessed, it had a main room that served as living room and kitchen and two doors, which he believed was the bedroom and bath. He returned his attention back to Duo as they sat down together. His arm remained comfortably draped over the other man's shoulders. For his part, Duo seemed to curl in upon himself, tolerating the contact but not responding to it.

After several moments, Duo seemed to compose himself just as the little girl came out of the bathroom, dressed in a purple, white and yellow plaid one-piece swimsuit. Duo hastily dried his eyes and put on a forced smile, obviously for her benefit. "Come here, girlie. Let's get some sunblock on you."

Appearing somewhat shy by his presence in their temporary home, Heero watched the girl hand her father the bottle of sunblock lotion. She then stood patiently, eyeing him in return from out of the corner of her eye as he sat close to her father while Duo slathered the white creamy substance over her exposed skin.

After Duo decided she was thoroughly protected from the sun's rays, he replaced the cap on the tube while his daughter looked directly into Heero's eyes and asked. "Who are you? Did you make my Dad cry?"

"Zazu!" Duo's voice was soft yet had a tone of chastisement. "That's not polite. This is an old friend of mine and he didn't make me cry. You know how I get when I'm tired."

The little girl studied her father's face with eyes that seemed to take in everything. "You should take a nap, Daddy."

"I will as soon as my... friend here leaves and you're done on the Slip and Slide."

"Okay," the girl said, looking a bit hesitant. "I won't be too long."

"Take a towel out with you," Duo reminded her. With one last look at the both of them, she went to the bathroom and came out with a bright pink and white floral beach towel. Both men watched her leave the cottage and a moment later the sound of water being turned on was heard.

Scooting away from their close proximity, Duo leaned into the far corner of the sofa and let his head drop back to rest on the back cushion.

"Alairic?" Heero guessed, a lump forming in his throat.

"Yeah," the braided man answered wearily.

"What's wrong? Is it genetic?"

Duo's head shook. "No. You're not at fault. You can walk away without that on your conscience." The touch of sarcasm in Duo's voice didn't go unnoticed.

"Tell me."

Closing his eyes and leaving his head resting on the back of the sofa, Duo sighed wearily. "After you left, I had to go out and get a job to support us. It was hard but I managed to find a daycare that would take both of the kids. I went back to the Preventers, to a desk job in the Denver office. It was boring and tedious but it was safer than being in the field. I couldn't take a chance on getting hurt or killed with two kids depending solely on me. The job was nine to five with good pay and the promise of benefits after a trial period. Our heath care benefits covered by your job ended two weeks after you resigned.

"Two months after you left and two weeks after I started my new job, I got a call from Ali's babysitter. She informed me that he was extremely fussy and refused to eat. She said he had a low-grade fever and asked permission to give him some fever reducing medicine. I picked him up later that day and the sitter told me that he'd actually been reluctant to eat for several days but that she'd attributed it to teething."

Raising his hands to cover his face, Duo paused to collect himself. "I thought it was just a damn cold. I hesitated to take him to the doctor because I didn't have any sick leave and my insurance hadn't kicked in. I took him home and gave him some children's pain medication. He seemed a bit better and so I went back to work the next day with the sitter promising to watch him closely and let me know if his condition changed. She called me around three, scared and crying. Ali had taken a sudden turn for the worse around two that afternoon and his fever had skyrocketed. She reported that he seemed weak and cried at every movement and that his joints seemed swollen and warm to the touch. She said she'd never seen anything like it before. I ran out of work, picked him up from her house and rushed to the hospital."

"What was wrong?" Heero asked, afraid of the answer.

"A mutated strain of rheumatic fever," Duo moaned, still not looking at him. "They didn't diagnose it correctly at first because he was younger than most rheumatic fever patients and the disease is rare these days. He was eight months old and had contracted a disease that's usually found in children ranging from ages six to fifteen years old. It's caused by a streptococcus bacteria and it's an inflammatory disease." Now turning his head to the side, Duo looked at him with anguished eyes. His voice was low and raspy as he continued. "It got to his heart, Heero, and because he was so young, it caused severe inflammation in the lining of his heart and valves. He's been on low-dose antibiotics since then and with each cold or flu he gets, it worsens. We came to Stanford Medical Center because one of Quatre's sisters knows the country's top juvenile cardiac specialists. Quat got us an appointment and the doctor recommended a heart transplant. We're here with Ali's name near the top of the list, waiting for a matching donor."

Heero's own heart felt like it was turning to stone as he listened to the heartbreaking story of his biological son. He'd left Alairic in Duo's care, never dreaming something like this would happen. "I don't know what to say," he said, feeling numb.

"There's nothing to say." Duo sounded defeated.

"Can I see him?"

The braided man's head slowly rose up from off the sofa back and despite the fact that his eyes opened, his eyelids looked far too heavy for him to resist closing them again. "He's a light sleeper and was up most of the night. I really don't want to wake him."

It was then that Heero understood Duo's look of exhaustion. Not only had Duo borne the burden of carrying the worry for their chronically-ill child, but he'd been alone in tending to his needs day and night for nearly three years. "I'll be quiet," he assured him.

Duo yawned, then nodded. "The kids don't know who you are, Heero. Three months after you left, I stopped talking about you and boxed up all our old photographs."

Heero stood up and paused as he looked down at the emotionally drained and physically exhausted man. "Why didn't you contact me? He's my son, too."

One eye opened to glare at him. "You signed the kids over to me, Heero. Besides, I got the notice of the dissolution of our partnership the day before I found out what was wrong with him. I was mad as all hell at you while trying to be strong and cope with Ali's illness and Zazu's fear. I realized after a while that I had to let go of you and of my anger over your leaving in order to fully concentrate on our children's well being."

Heero felt emotionally adrift, not knowing what to say or even feel after what he'd just learned. His past actions had been based on protecting himself, to lock away the hurt caused by Duo's unfaithfulness. He hadn't known, didn't realize that his departure would hurt those he'd left behind. Sure, he'd known at some level that his leaving would hurt Duo, but he thought it only right at the time that his lover feel the same kind of pain he'd experienced by his confession of infidelity. He'd never imagined that his son would become so ill or that Duo would let them forget him completely. He couldn't really blame the other man, considering what had happened and that the bad timing of the arrival of the papers that ended their legal relationship. No, the blame obviously belonged to him. His leaving and not contacting them was the real reason why his kids didn't know he was their father. For over three years he'd believed he was the only one who'd suffered from Duo's actions, but it was obvious now, after hearing about his family's trials and seeing Duo's weariness, that they'd all suffered in one way or another.

The urge to apologize was sudden and strong, but he resisted doing so as the need to see his son became even stronger. Without another word he stood and walked to the room he guessed was the bedroom. With a quick look back to see Duo staring after him, he entered silently through the bedroom door and carefully shut it behind him.

The room was somewhat dark, with the shutters on the lone window having been closed to soften the brightness of the mid-day sun. Seeing the small figure lying on the far side of the queen-size bed, he walked cautiously towards the sleeping little boy, needing to see him up close. Standing at the side of the bed, his first thought was that the four-year old looked so small. Then again, after not being around children for several years, he didn't know if his assessment of his son's size was correct or not. Gazing down on the angelic face of the sleeping boy, he noted that Alairic definitely had his hair. It was dark brown, soft and silky and cut rather short with a small dark fringe lying against his forehead, contrasting sharply with the pale skin beneath it - obviously a trait he'd inherited from Hilde.

Having kicked off his blanket, Heero was given a view of the compact little body. The little boy was wearing a pale blue tee-shirt that had little red and white helicopters dotting the material. The matching shorts ended halfway up his little thighs and he wore white, folded ankle socks on his small feet. Watching the rise and fall of his son's chest, Heero's vision blurred as unbidden tears welled up in his eyes. Here lay his son, seriously ill, and he didn't know much of anything about him. Were his eyes deep blue like his own? Was he smart and inquisitive? Did he like helicopters and trucks? He swallowed back the emotions that struggled to escape his control as he looked at the multitude of small stuffed dogs that surrounded the petite body. There could be no doubt that Alairic liked dogs.

The need to touch his son became overwhelming, but as his hand reached out, he remembered Duo's exhausted state and his warning that Alairic slept lightly. After a few more minutes of drinking in every single detail his eyes could take in of the four year old boy and implanting them into his memory, he reluctantly made a retreat out of the room and left his son sleeping undisturbed.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay! I've many excuses, though none that you'd find interesting.

**The Call  
**By: Dyna Dee  
Warnings: hum... tension, angst.

**Part 4**

After closing the bedroom door behind him, Heero turned and was confronted not by Duo, as expected. A quick glance confirmed that the tired man was still sound asleep on the sofa in the position he'd left him, his head thrown back on the top edge and light snores coming from his relaxed mouth. Instead, he was greeted by a spunky little seven year old girl in her swimsuit, fists balled up on her hips and wearing a disapproving frown on her otherwise beautiful face. Her wet pigtails dripped water droplets onto her tanned shoulders and arms.

"Did my Dad say you could go in there?" she challenged him, keeping her low voice.

Heero knelt down beside her and whispered back. "Yes, he did. I'll bet you're a good helper to your Dad, aren't you, Eliza?" he asked, inwardly wondering about all the milestones and events he'd missed during the nearly four years he'd been gone from her life.

The girl's frown remained in place as she stated, "Call me Zazu. Dad only calls me Eliza when I'm in trouble."

"But Eliza's a beautiful name," he said, remembering how he and Duo had debated for weeks over what to call their daughter. When they'd finally gotten down to three names, they'd written them down on separate slips of paper and drew her name from out of one of Duo's black hats. To his dismay, not moments after she was born, Duo gave her the nickname Zazu, combining parts of her first and middle name, Eliza Suzanne, into a shorter abbreviation. His partner had done the same thing with Alairic's name, dubbing him Ali, Ali-cat or Ali-oop in the first few moments after their son had been placed in his arms for the first time after being removed from Hilde's body.

"Are you one of my Dad's friends?" the girl asked, drawing him back from his thoughts of a happier time.

"Yes. But I've been gone for a while."

"You look a little like Uncle Wufei."

The name of his former friend brought a surprising and unwelcome stab of jealousy to his heart. Just after the end of the short, second war, it had been hard to miss that the former rigid and stubborn scholar and gundam pilot had developed a soft spot for Duo. He'd cautiously observed their friend with his lover, but thankfully Wufei was disciplined and highly principled. He never once stepped over the line of friendship while he and Duo were together. He wondered at the feeling of jealousy he was experiencing and if Wufei had filled the vacancy in Duo's life after he'd left. "I know your uncle Wufei also. Do you see him very often?" he asked the girl, keeping his voice low.

"We used to see him all the time back home. He used to stay overnight sometimes to help with Ali."

"I see," Heero said absent mindedly while his mind conjured up all kinds of reasons why Wufei would have stayed overnight with Duo.

"Then after we sold the house, we moved in with him for a while. It was a lot of fun, but Uncle Wufei cooks really weird food."

Heero looked at the girl in shock. "You don't live in the house on Blossom Hill Road any longer?"

"No. We lived in an apartment for a while that had lots of other kids and a cool playground. Dad says once Ali's better, we'll get us a home again."

His mind frantically tried to deal with the fact that Duo had sold their home. They'd looked at what seemed like hundreds of houses that had been up for sale before they found the one that his lover had felt was the best suited for them and their baby daughter. Duo had chosen it because of the large backyard and for the fact that it was located in a neighborhood of predominantly middle-income families, had excellent schools, parks and a hospital close by. He'd been relieved beyond words when Duo had finally declared with a brilliant grin that they'd found the place that would be their new home.

Glancing down at his watch, he noted it was just after noon. Reluctant to leave before he'd spoken to his ex-lover about seeing the kids again, he looked into the serious little heart-shaped face that reminded him of Duo in his youth and asked, "Are you hungry? Would you like for me to make you something to eat?"

The girl gave him one of Duo's mischievous grins, making his heart twitch, and answered in a Duo-esque way, "I could eat. But you have to wash your hands first. That's one of the house rules. We don't want to accidently give any germs to Ali."

The kitchen was a part of the living room but a tall counter top/bar separated it from the sitting area. After they both washed their hands with the antibacterial soap set next to the kitchen sink, Eliza sat on one of the two bar stools while Heero went to the refrigerator to scout out what was available for lunch. He opened the door and bent to peek inside. It surprised him to find that most of the food within the refrigerator was healthy: vegetables, fruit, eggs, butter, milk, cheese and yogurt. He noticed a lack of beverages other than milk and fruit juices. For Duo not to have a six pack of beer chilling seemed very out of character. Duo had always made it a habit to have plenty of alcohol around, just in case company dropped by or for the rare moment when the kids were in bed and he could take the time to relax and unwind. There wasn't even a bottle of wine chilling, he noted. It seemed Duo's preferences for drink these day went to the more healthy variety of beverages.

"Have you got any bread?" he asked, seeing a large block of cheese.

"Yeah, in the bread drawer."

Ten minutes later, the two of them were enjoying grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberry yogurt and a glass of milk. Heero studied Eliza from out of the corner of his eye. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her but he didn't quite know how to start. He guess that it was most likely improper for him to interrogate a seven year old about her family life.

"You make a good grilled cheese, just like my dad," the girl said around a half chewed wad of food in her mouth.

"It was your dad who taught me," he told her before taking a bite of his own sandwich.

"Really?" She flipped back her left, still damp pigtail over her shoulder with her free hand while the other clutched the uneaten portion of her sandwich.

Heero's breath caught in his throat. In that unconscious move he caught a glimpse of what Duo must have looked like as a seven year old, minus the pig tails, of course. Their daughter was beautiful, he thought as he continued to surreptitiously study her. He was enchanted by Eliza's face and eyes, seeing innocence and happiness there as well as a radiant glow of good health. By just looking at the little girl you could tell she was loved and well taken care of. Duo's daughter had his impish smile and a twinkle of mischief in her heavily eye-lashed, blue-violet eyes. Heero found himself smiling at her, then felt his grin slowly fade as he thought of Duo's circumstances at her age. Living on the streets of L2 had no doubt deprived him from having that same look of good health and happiness that Eliza wore. His former lover had told him of his past, of living day to day and hand to mouth on the streets, stealing food and picking pockets in order to survive. He probably never had that look of "I am loved" that seemed to exude from their two children. Seeing Eliza, and even his brief glimpse of Alairic, reaffirmed to him once again that giving Duo custody of the two kids when he'd left had undoubtedly been the best decision he could have made. Even though things had been difficult for them, their children had been loved and well taken care of. Regardless of their past and the mistakes made on both their parts, his ex had proved himself to be a good and loving father.

Turning his head to gaze again at the man sprawled out on the end of the sofa, his braided head still thrown back and resting on the top corner, Heero's heart seemed to constrict at the mere sight of him, and he was filled with regret that things had gone so badly after he'd left.

Suddenly, the little white box that sat on the counter next to Eliza began emitting sounds of material rustling and a little voice grunting unhappily.

"Ali's waking up," Eliza announced. "I'll get my Dad."

"Wait," Heero rushed to stop her before she got off the stool. "Why don't you and I get Alairic up and allow your Dad a few more minutes of sleep. He looks like he could use it."

The little girl suddenly looked quite wise as she focused her eyes on him, clearly thinking about what would be the right thing to do. Then she shrugged, a typical Duo move, and chirped, "Okay." She turned off the white box, climbed off the stool and led him back to the bedroom door.

Entering the room, they were greeted by the sight of the little four year old boy sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes, his hoard of stuffed dogs surrounding him.

"I want Daddy," Alairic said, his chin trembling and his deep blue eyes filling with tears.

"It's okay, Ali," Eliza soothed him in a little-mother fashion as she went to the bed, turned off the monitor and climbed up on it, putting her arms around the little boy.

Heero stood frozen in place, stunned by the resemblance between himself and his son. All he could see of Hilde was her pale skin tone and petite bone structure. With his own eyes filling with his heart's emotions and leaking from rusty tear ducts, he moved forward and sat on the edge of the bed.

Big blue eyes rose to look at him warily and Heero hastily wiped the moisture out of his eyes. Eliza felt her brother stiffen in her arms and rushed to ease his worry. "Don't worry, Ali. He's not a doctor. He's one of Daddy's friends."

"Uncle?" the little boy asked innocently.

"No, not an uncle. We've already got enough of those," Eliza said, sounding so wise.

Heero finally found his voice and gave into the need to speak to his son. "Hello, Alairic. My name is Odin." He didn't know if either child had heard the name Heero before, but he didn't want to upset them if they had.

A tremulous smile came to the boy's face, then he turned to his sister. "I gotta go."

"Are you dry?" she questioned.

Alairic patted the crotch of his shorts and grinned. "All dry."

"Good boy, Ali," his sister cheered with a big grin. She then scrambled off the bed, turned and stretched her arms out to him. Alairic leaned forward and slipped into them, allowing his sister to lift him from off the bed and away from the stuffed animals.

Seeing the girl stagger slightly, Heero rushed to her side. "Do you want me to carry him?"

"No, thanks. I've got him."

Staying out of her way, he watched as the little girl carried her precious armful to the bedroom door, exit the room and delivered him into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind them.

Left outside the bathroom door and in view of Duo, he turned to stare at his former lover once again, drinking in the sight of him like a man who had gone too long without water, suddenly viewing an oasis. There was no doubt about it, he still felt drawn to his former partner. Duo was as handsome and physically appealing to him as ever. But somehow, immersed in all his anger and resentment, he'd forgotten the person inside the attractive package. His former lover had always been loving and playful. His devotion to him, their relationship, friends and then their children had never come into question until he'd confessed his infidelity. Using his former training, he managed to push aside the memory of all the wonderful traits his lover possessed and had focused solely on that one confessed indiscretion.

The slight sound of the door to the bathroom opening brought him back from his thoughts to the present. He watched as Eliza came out of the room, leading her little brother by the hand. "Ali's hungry," she announced, remembering to keep her voice down.

Heero smiled at the siblings, his heart feeling like it was swelling with each moment he spent in their presence. "How about we go and fix him something to eat and you can finish your lunch as well. Do you like grilled cheese sandwiches?" he asked his son, and got a nod of the little dark-haired head in reply.

Since he hadn't yet touched the second half of his sandwich, Heero re-heated it as well as Eliza's in the microwave while the dutiful big sister got out a small child-sized chair and table set that she explained was for Ali to use for eating. She logically explained to him that their dad bought it because it wasn't safe for Ali to sit on the tall bar stools.

Finding he'd lost his appetite altogether, Heero didn't bother making another sandwich for himself, but found himself utterly content in watching the two children eat their lunch. His heart ached as he thought of all that he'd missed during the time he'd been gone, and that it had been his own damn fault. His pride and stubbornness, boosted by his hurt and anger, had caused him to act impetuously. From the moment Duo confessed to him he'd fallen back on his early training and shut out his emotions, effectively closing his ears and heart to the man who'd hurt him... and he'd left not only Duo, but his family as well. He'd gone straight to a lawyer and hired the man to handle the dissolution of their partnership in the quickest manner possible. He'd left everything to Duo and the kids with the intent of severing all contact with them, and continued to use his past training to close off his heart and his emotional need for them. And now, for the first time in years, he found himself regretting that decision. He'd given all custodial rights for the children to Duo, physically, emotionally and financially cutting himself out of their lives. In light of what he'd learned so far this day, he felt ashamed of himself and for his hasty, selfish actions. Duo had shouldered the burden of caring for Eliza and a very sick Alairic while he'd gone off and created a new life for himself. Duo shouldn't have had to shoulder all of that on his own. But it was too late to do anything about the past, wasn't it?

A movement from the front room caught his attention and he turned just in time to see Duo jumping up from the sofa and looking frantically around the room as he tried to get his bearings. He ran to the front door of the cottage and called out in a panicked voice for his daughter.

"Here, Daddy!" The little girl giggled from her bar stool, mistakenly thinking her father's actions were funny.

Duo spun around to face the kitchenette, pale and clutching at his chest. "Thank God," he whispered as the look of panic began to fade from his face. His eyes then rose to Heero's, then narrowed slightly. "You're still here?"

"The kids were hungry so I fed them."

The braided man's eyes shifted to the bedroom to see the door open and the bed inside empty. He walked into the area behind the kitchen bar to see his little boy happily munching on his cheese sandwich. "Hey, buddy. What ya got there?" He knelt down next to the miniature table set.

"Cheese sammich," the little dark-haired boy replied happily with a little grin.

"Um. Looks good."

Standing, Duo looked at his former partner. "Sorry to drop off on you like that. It's been a long week and I think it's finally caught up to me."

"Don't apologize," he told him sincerely. "I'm glad to be of help."

Suspicion rose in Duo's eyes again following that remark, but he kept his thoughts to himself, well aware of the children.

"Do you want me to make you a sandwich?"

"No thanks." Duo waved off the offer. Instead he grabbed an apple from a wire basket on the counter top, took a bite of it and chewed each bite thoroughly while looking anywhere but at the other man in the room.

The rest of the mid-day meal was quiet other than a few comments from the children now and then. Zazu chatted about attending a new school and buying clothes for the occasion and Ali simply stated he was full. Both sets of little hands and the cherub faces were washed and dried, then Duo set to work, cleaning the kitchen. With the dishes loaded into the very small dishwasher, the braided man took out an antibacterial cleanser and sprayed the entire kitchen surface with it, then wiped it off with a clean towel.

"Ali's immune system is weak," Duo informed him. "So we have to be vigilant about germs."

"Can we have a popsicle?" Zazu interrupted, looking hopeful.

"All right," Duo answered. "But eat it outside, okay?" He opened the lower half of the refrigerator, revealing a small freezer section, and pulled out a box of juice bars. He handed her two of them before putting the box back in place. Zazu unwrapped her popsicle while Duo took the second one from her and peeled down the wrapper until it was bunched up at the bottom of the treat, set to catch any melting drops.

"Okay, out you go," he said, taking Ali's hand in his own and leading the little boy to the door. "Sit on the grass while you eat them," he instructed both while handing the cold treat to the boy to carry. "And don't get up until your done, alright?"

"K, dad," the pig-tailed girl answered happily. "Come on, Ali."

Heero watched Duo as he stood at the screen door to make sure that both children sat down on the lawn. Satisfied that they were set, Duo then turned around and leveled an angry glare at his ex. "What do you really want, Heero?" His voice was kept low as he moved further into the room so that the kids wouldn't overhear their conversation. "You've been gone for over three years without any contact. Why show up on my doorstep now after more or less telling me to get lost when I called you for help? Why?"

Heero knew Duo was had a right to be suspicious of his motives, but for the life of him he didn't know how to answer. Before he could come up with something, Duo continued, his anger mounting. "You better not think for a moment that you can pop in here from whatever idyllic life you've made for yourself and think about getting custody of either one of them. They're mine. You left, deserted them, and they have no idea who you are. I think it's better that we keep it that way."

Heero held up his hands as a signal of a truce. "I'd never try to take the kids from you, Duo. It doesn't take a genius to see you're the better parent. Besides, you're the one who wanted them."

Before he could react, Heero found himself on lying on the carpeted floor with the left side of his face smarting from having a fist smashed into it. The unexpected blow had knocked him off his feet and onto his ass, thus giving him the view of Duo standing over him, his eyes ablaze and nostrils flaring with anger. "Don't you dare say that either one of those kids was unwanted. You know you once wanted and loved them just as much as I did," he hissed.

Slowly, cautiously, Heero climbed to his feet, keeping a wary eye on the angry man while testing his jaw for damage. "Let's be honest, Duo. If you'll remember you were the one who felt something was missing in your life. You wanted a home and children." Gingerly moving the aching jaw, Heero softly added. "All I ever wanted was you. In order to keep you I knew I needed to make you happy. I agreed to Hilde being a surrogate for us because you wanted it so badly, and it did make you happy, didn't it?" Duo looked away from him, as if he was stung by his honesty. "But that doesn't mean I didn't come to love them. I did."

That admission seemed to placate the braided man somewhat. Still not meeting Heero's gaze, Duo asked again, "So then why are you here?"

Dabbing at the blood at the corner of his mouth, he answered. "I'm not sure. Possibly for closure."

Duo's head shot up and his eyes sparked venomously. "Closure!" he snapped. "You got your damn closure, buddy. You ended our relationship on your terms. I didn't have a damn thing say about it, not to you or your stinkin' lawyer. What I did get was a stack of legal papers saying you were done with us, so don't speak to me about closure. I'm the one who didn't get closure, but that swelling jaw of yours and my aching knuckles sure feels like a good beginning to me."

Heero was well aware of his own anger rising to meet Duo's. "You're the one who cheated on me," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Duo's chest. "What did you think I was going to do? Say it was all right and go on as before? I worked my ass off for you, for the home you wanted and for our family. And for what? To have you cheat on me?"

"It wasn't all my fault, Heero," Duo retorted, his face pinking with anger. "It took me a long time before I could objectively look back and see that you had a great deal to do with our relationship falling apart."

Heero's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what the other man was saying. He wasn't the one who cheated. "What the hell are you talking about? You're the cheater."

"Physically, yeah," Duo conceded, his eyes filled with hurt. "Paulina seduced me. But if I hadn't been so damn lonely, starved for affection and attention and half drunk that afternoon, it would never have happened. I regretted it immediately and kicked her out of the house. After gathering my wits I called you home. Sure, I made a horrible, very regrettable mistake and I hated myself for it, but you were the one who ruined our relationship over it."

Heero was still struggling with disbelief at what Duo was saying. His eyes narrowed as he recalled something Duo had just said. "What do you mean you were lonely and starved for affection? I came home every night. We spent our weekends together as a family."

"You spent a good fourteen hours a day at work or school, Heero, including Saturday. You got home after the kids were asleep and then you were too tired to do anything but eat and go to bed. I was trapped in the house all day with two little kids and there were many days that Paulina was the only one to provide me with any adult conversation. When Sunday morning came rolling around, we usually had a very quick attempt at sex before you rolled over and went back to sleep, then you slept for the majority of the day, making up for lost time, you said. When you finally resurfaced, you spent the evening getting ready for the next week. Dammit, Heero, I was so damn lonely and needy that even an eighty year old grandma could have seduced me just by giving me some time and attention! You physically left me the day I made my mistake, but emotionally, you'd left long before then."

Silence filled the room and only the sound of the children talking outside about a squirrel in the trees could be heard. Heero didn't know what to say, but after a few moments, he tried to justify his past action in a calmer manner. "With you not working I felt the need to make more money. There was added pressure to pay the bills from Hilde's gynecologist and hospital bills that came after Alairic was added to our family. I'd always intended to cut back on my hours after I caught up on things, but then putting extra money in our savings account seemed like a good idea. I honestly didn't know that you missed me, Duo. You had the kids and they seemed to take all if your time and attention."

Suddenly, the anger seemed to drain out of the braided man as he listened to Heero's reasoning. Running a hand though the fringe of hair over his forehead, Duo said wearily, "I've always needed you, Heero. You were my rock, my comfort. From the moment you walked out the door I blamed myself for your leaving. When you didn't call or contact me, I retreated into a dark place. If it hadn't been for the guys..." He stopped and paused to take a deep breath, then shook his head, dismissing what he was going to say. "Water under the bridge," he mumbled just under his breath, but Heero managed to pick up on it.

Looking and sounding weary once again, Duo added, "Listen, Heero. I don't have the energy for this. All I have is given to those two kids out there. I'm sorry if you don't have the closure you feel you need to go on with your life, but there's nothing I can do about it. I confessed to what I'd done and asked your forgiveness. You didn't give it and then you deserted us. The past is behind us and there's nothing we can do about it now. Go back to your perfect corporate life in San Francisco and your non-committal relationship with your beautiful, redheaded girlfriend and leave us the hell alone."

With that said, Duo turned and walked out of the cottage leaving Heero standing alone with his thoughts. He wondered briefly just how much Duo knew of his life in San Francisco and for how long. He obviously knew about Madison. He then recalled her visit with Duo, set up by Andrea Olson, and it all clicked together. That's how he'd gained the information.

Deciding that he needed a few more answers from his ex before leaving, he squared his shoulders and determinedly followed Duo outside only to be surprised by a newcomer entering the yard from the path at the side of the main house. Heero would have recognized that person anywhere. Wufei's dark eyes shot to him at once and widened in surprise before narrowing. The Chinese man was obviously less than pleased by his presence in the backyard. Wufei's appearance was then noticed by the other three and their reaction was immediate.

"Uncle Wufei!" Zazu jumped to her feet and ran to the Chinese man who grinned warmly at the young girl, dropped the shoulder bag he'd been carrying and opened his arms to her. Catching her, he flung her around in a circle before setting her back down and teasingly tugged at her pigtails. Zazu kept her arms wrapped around his waist for a continued hug and looked up to give the Chinese man a look of pure adoration.

Heero was distracted by the reunion for a moment when Alairic also climbed to his feet and began to run towards the newcomer. Duo easily reached out and snatched him up into his arms. "Keep calm, Ali. Uncle Wufei will be here in a sec," the cautious father whispered to his son.

Meanwhile, Wufei managed to free himself from the little girl's clutches only to take hold of her hand. They walked comfortably together, both smiling happily, towards the waiting three.

"Who's that big boy in your arms, Duo?" Wufei asked with exaggerated curiosity. "Surely it's not Alairic the Great. This fellow is just too big to be Ali."

"It sure is, Wu," Duo replied with a grin, playing along.

"No," Wufei scoffed. "He was never this big. Is that really you, Alairic?"

"Uncle!" The boy giggled and held his hands out to the teasing man, still dressed in his Preventer uniform.

Wufei lifted the boy from Duo's arms and held him close to his shoulder before kissing each of his soft cheeks. Worried onyx eyes rose to meet Duo's, silently asking how his son was faring.

"Rough week," was all Duo said, earning a sad, sympathetic smile from his friend.

Heero felt that uncalled for jealousy rearing up again. He knew he had no right to be jealous of Duo or of Wufei's attention to him. He had no claim on his former lover. Just as he'd firmly told himself that, the almond-shaped eyes turned to him.

"What are you doing here?" Abrupt and to the point. Wufei hadn't changed much over the last few years, he thought.

"Gathering information," he replied cryptically, and then inwardly winced at how much that statement reminded him of his past and the wars they'd fought in together.

Shifting his eyes back to Duo, Wufei raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We're done speaking. Heero was just leaving," Duo stated, his manner cool.

"I'd like to stay and visit with the kids for a while," he said, feeling again that sharp stab of jealously in seeing his son clinging so trustingly to Wufei.

"Well, as you can see we've got company, so it's not a very convenient time," Duo said frostily. "I'm sure you can find your way out."

Heero didn't want to make a scene in front of the kids, or Wufei for that matter, but he knew things still needed to be said between Duo and himself. Today had been a start, but it wasn't the end. "I'll come back another time," he said. Then kneeling down, he brought himself to Eliza's eye level. "Next time I come, I'll bring ice cream. What kind do you like?"

"Chocolate," the girl beamed. "But Ali likes vanilla."

"I'll bring both," he said. "Can I get a hug before I go?" He knew he was pushing it with Duo, but for some reason he needed to touch his little girl, to hold her once again in case he never got the chance again.

Eliza had been a affectionate toddler, and he hoped the trauma of his leaving hadn't changed that. Two arms wrapped around his neck and he received a brief, heart-warming hug, one he easily returned. When the girl pulled back, they both were smiling.

"Thank you, Eliza. It was wonderful being here with you today." Standing, he turned to Wufei, still holding his son. He moved closer to touch the little one's dark hair, then leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Bye," the little boy said happily, then leaned his head onto Wufei's shoulder.

"Good to see you again, Chang," he managed to say politely. Then turning to Duo, he said softly, "I'll see you soon, Duo." He more or less forced himself to turn away from them, and with a straight back and his head held high he walked across the lush lawn. Once he reached the side path, he paused at the corner of the house and turned to see Eliza opening the cottage door for Wufei who was leading Duo inside, one arm resting across the braided man's shoulders while the other one carried his son. He'd never considered himself a jealous man before, but without a doubt he'd experienced enough of it today to convince him otherwise. There was one thing he knew for sure, that he never disliked Wufei Chang more than he did at that moment.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Warnings and disclaimers on first page of story

**The Call  
Dyna Dee  
Part 5**

Work that week proved to be more challenging than usual. Heero was well aware that his level of concentration was less than satisfactory as thoughts of Duo and his accusation came back to haunt him again and again. The charge that he'd abandoned Duo emotionally, leaving the door open for that conniving adulteress Paulina to take advantage of his weakened emotional state, had never occurred to him. Was it be possible that he shared some of the blame for his lover's indiscretion after all? He debated that question with himself frequently during the week, and dissected his memories of the past including his actions and Duo's. He grudgingly admitted that there were two sides to every story, to every argument and breakup.

By three o'clock Friday afternoon he'd had enough. Closing down his computer and packing up his briefcase, Heero made his way out of the office, stopping only to inform the secretary that he shared with two other associates that he was leaving early.

"Are you all right, Mr. Yuy?" the young woman asked, her voice laced with genuine concern. He realized suddenly that he'd never left work early before and hadn't even taken a sick day during the three years he'd been working there. No wonder she looked worried.

"I'm fine, Stacy. I have some family business to attend to." The woman's expression of concern was quickly replaced by surprise, which could be explained by the fact that he'd never mentioned having a family before. Revealing two sides of his personal life in a two minute time span had to be a new record for him, at least in his workplace. In the act admitting to having a family to attend to, Heero was struck by how right he felt in saying it. No matter how hard he'd tried in the past years to convince himself otherwise, he did have a family, and now that they were nearby and obviously in need he was going to be there for them whether Duo liked it or not. He left the office and walked quickly to the parking garage and his car, eager to be on his way. Before long he was bypassing the street leading to his home and heading to Highway 280 to make his way south to Palo Alto, hating the fact that Friday's rush hour seemed to begin at the same time he'd hit the road.

He arrived at the cottage around five with each arm laden with an over-stuffed grocery bag. Once again, he found the inside door was open and the screen door the only barrier that separated him from those residing inside. "Hello?" he called out, not having a free hand to knock with. He frowned when an answer to his salutation didn't come. Testing the screen door handle with one of his fingers, he found it unlocked. With a quick look around to see if anyone was watching, he slipped through the door and entered the tidy cottage. "Duo?" Still no answer. Thinking the other man might be napping like he had the last time he visited, he went to the tiny kitchen and set the grocery bags down on the counter top.

The promised ice cream went into the lower freezer compartment, the cookies in the cupboard and the beer in the refrigerator. Leaving the large can of mixed nuts on the counter, where he set the rest of the snacks and fruit he'd purchased, Heero stopped to survey the interior of the cottage and wondered where its occupants were. Tip toeing to the closed bedroom door, he stopped in front of it and pressed his ear against the wood. Not a sound came from the room behind the door. A quick glance at the table next to the sofa revealed the baby monitor. Its red light signaling whether or not it was activated was off. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he turned it and opened the door wide enough to poke his head through for a quick glance. Except for the furniture, the room was empty and the bed was made.

Closing the door and feeling a bit guilty for having invaded Duo's space without permission, he thought he should probably wait outside for the family's return. He could only imagine what Duo's reaction would be if he came home and found him lounging in his home. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Stepping outside, he walked across the lawn to the padded, metal patio furniture he'd become acquainted with the week before. He took off his suit jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves, then sat down and tried to get comfortable. Slouching down a bit and adjusting his sunglasses on his nose, he stretched out his legs and placed his feet on the chair adjacent to his own and closed his eyes, soaking up the warmth of the mid-August sun as it slowly made its way towards the western horizon.

Not five minutes later he heard Duo's voice as it floated towards the backyard from the walkway at the side of the house. He sat up, took his feet off the other chair cushion and removed his sunglasses in time to see a stroller carrying Alairic being pushed into the yard.

Duo's eyes fixed on him the moment he'd rounded the corner of the house and his smile definitely went south. "What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly and with no trace of friendliness.

"I had to keep my promise about the ice-cream," he answered with a shrug.

"Iz cream!" Alairic cheered. His voice was somewhat muffled behind the white mask that covered his mouth and nose but his blue eyes sparkled through moon-shaped slits, showing Heero there was a smile beneath the filtering mask.

"Calm down, Ali," Duo said softly, his hand reaching out to touch the small, dark-haired head. "Ice cream after dinner. Okay, kiddo?"

"K, Daddy."

Heero felt a tug on his heart at the love he felt for the little boy he barely knew. Alairic was wearing blue jean overalls and a red and white striped T-shirt. If it weren't for the mask over his face, he would be the definitive definition of cute. "Where's Eliza?" He realized the little girl wasn't with them.

"Hilde's in town. She took Zazu for a girl's day out. They're shopping for school clothes."

"Does she do that often? Visit the kids?"

Duo shrugged. "About four times a year. She got married two years ago to a Sweeper named Matt Torkelson. Nice guy. They had a kid of their own last year but Hilde doesn't bring him when she comes. She leaves Zack, her son, with her husband's mother on L1."

"Daddy!" Alairic fussed, raising his arms to be lifted. Heero noticed the little red dog that was clutched in one of his son's small hands.

Instead of lifting their son out of the stroller, Duo reached into the side of it and pulled out a small, white plastic box and removed a tissue from it. He then proceeded to clean his own hands, wiping them and each finger thoroughly before placing the used cloth into a plastic bag he'd gotten of his pants pocket. He then pulled out another wipe and began working on Alairic's fingers and hands. "Are you planning on coming inside?" Duo asked him without looking up from his task.

"Yes."

"Then take a wipe and clean your hands. They're anti-bacterial. We have to try and keep Ali healthy for when a suitable donor's heart comes in. They won't perform the operation if he's sick."

That explained the wipes and Alairic's mask. Heero quickly followed Duo's actions by thoroughly cleansing his hands as he watched the other man take the little boy out of his stroller, kiss his forehead and then settle him on his hip.

"How's the best guy in the whole world?" Duo asked his son in a teasing yet loving manner.

"Hungry, Daddy."

"I think I can fix that little problem." Duo turned and opened the door to the cottage, leaving Heero to follow.

It wasn't until the hand wipes had been tossed into a lidded garbage can in the kitchen that Alairic's mask was removed. The smile that was revealed beneath it sent Heero's heart tripping. He didn't know if he'd ever seen anything so wonderful as that little boy's smile, and the strength of his feelings for his son was as surprising as it was overwhelming.

"I'm going to fix dinner," Duo said, turning to face him. "Would you like to visit with Ali while I'm busy in the kitchen?"

A smile of gratitude easily found its way to his face as Heero nodded and stepped forward to take his son from Duo's arms. Alairic came to him easily and he couldn't help but hold him close to his shoulder for a moment. All the paternal feelings he'd thought were long gone came rushing back, and he blinked away the moisture building in his eyes as he was swept away with a feeling of pure love for the little boy in his arms.

"Why don't you watch T.V. or do one of Ali's puzzles. They're in the basket under the end table." Duo watched as Heero nodded and gave him another grateful smile before he turned to the seating area.

"T.V. or puzzles?" he asked his son after settling them both on the floor behind the coffee table, the sofa to their backs.

"Both," Alairic announced, a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Heero reached for the remote and turned on the television that sat on a small table against the wall.

"Channel 29 has his favorite cartoon," Duo said from the kitchen, obviously listening in on their conversation.

Once the appropriate channel was found, a sealed plastic bag containing a large-piece puzzle was selected from the basket and the pieces were quickly spread out on top of the coffee table.

Alairic's little fingers quickly began to assemble the puzzle. His smile brightened his little face as each piece snapped into place. For his part, Heero just watched in wonder of the little boy. He was so pure and innocent. How was it possible that he'd helped to produce such a perfect little person?

The sound of pans being pulled out, chopping and running water from the kitchenette reminded him that he wasn't the only person responsible for the wonder before him, and certainly not for the happiness in his child's eyes. Duo had proven once again that he was a good father. Coming to a quick decision, Heero shifted to his knees as he prepared to stand in the cramped space. "I'll be right back, Alairic. All right?"

"K." The little boy didn't even look up from his puzzle as he answered. Having his permission, Heero stood and quickly moved to the bar where he could watch both the boy and the braided man who was working on dinner.

"I thought all week about what you said, Duo," he began, and his former lover looked up from his task at the cutting board for a moment.

"And?"

"I believe I owe you an apology. You were right in many respects. The more you threw yourself into parenthood the more pressure I felt to make up the slack in income. I felt left out, Duo, like I wasn't important to you any more. I didn't lie when I said all I had wanted was you, but I did eventually come to accept sharing you. I watched you lose yourself in caring for Eliza and I could understand it because she was fussy and demanding and needed so much care. Then just as things seemed to get better, I went along with you in making preparations for Alairic. I turned to my work after Hilde got pregnant again, doing whatever it took to get ahead and to make more money, knowing that if I did well I could make you happy by providing whatever our family needed. I suppose in retrospect that I was wrong to spend so much time away from you and the kids. I should have spent more time at home, but I just didn't see any other way to deal with the rising stack of bills and the distance growing between us."

"You should have talked to me, Heero, about how you felt," Duo said, sounding sad. "It might have helped. But you know I never did understand why you were always so anal about the bills," Duo interrupted him, then audibly sighed as he turned back to chopping the carrots. "Honestly, a small credit card balance was nothing to panic about."

Heero recalled several arguments they'd had in the past over his worry over money and Duo's use of credit cards then their budget ran a bit thin. "I dislike debt," he replied, frowning. "I think it's a good practice to pay for what you want and to stay free of paying interest."

"Not a bad plan, but debt's not always avoidable," Duo replied casually. "I'll bet you pay cash for everything and that you don't even own a credit card."

"I do. I earn flight miles by charging my purchases on it and pay off the balance at the end of the month." He didn't mention that he'd never used those accumulated miles, had never taken a vacation. As there was no further comment from Duo, he pushed ahead and asked, "What about you? Are you alright financially?"

Duo snorted disdainfully. "With Ali's medical problems, hardly. Quatre's offered to help but I told him I'll exhaust what I've got before I'll accept anything from him."

Heero had to respect him for that decision, but couldn't help but ask the question plaguing his mind. "How much?"

"You don't want to know."

"I can help."

Duo's head shot up, but this time anger was shooting from his eyes. "Why? What business is it of yours after a three and a half year absence?"

"He's my son." It was the most logical answer he could come up with, yet Heero knew it wasn't the only one. He wanted to help Duo, to carry some of the responsibility that had burdened him. He stopped short for a moment, realizing what he was doing. It came as a surprised that he was feeling protective of Duo once again. In fact, he was becoming aware of other feelings re-surfacing for his former lover and their children, emotions he'd suppressed for a very long time. Had he held himself in check so completely and for so long that he'd successfully blocked out all of his feelings for them? "I made a mistake, Duo. In fact, I'm coming to realize that I've made quite a few. I can't turn back time but if you'll allow me I'd like to help you and the kids."

Duo as clearly trying to control his temper as he answered tersely. "Your obligation to us ended with the dissolution of our partnership and when you gave up your parental rights. I guess I should belatedly thank you for leaving us the house and cars. I sold everything when the medical bills for Ali's care needed to be paid. I don't need your help, Heero, not financially or in any other way. The guys have been here for us and Wufei has been more of a parent to the kids than anyone other than myself. He's been consistent and a supportive presence in our lives. Why should I chance letting you get close to us again only to have you get mad at me for something and disappear out of our lives when it suits you?" The carrot Duo had been chopping was in danger of being pulverized as he took his frustration out on the piece of vegetable.

"That's a valid question," Heero said, remaining calm in contrast to Duo's mood. He knew that this moment was a defining one as to whether or not he would have a place in his children's lives. He had to press on, to make promises he would keep absolutely if he were to begin to win Duo's trust again. "I can only give you my solemn word, Duo, that I won't abandon them again. Please, let me be a part of their lives. Let me help."

The chopping action stopped and Duo turned his head to look at him. For a moment their eyes locked and time stood still. Heero could have sworn that nearly four years of pain, worry, stress and loneliness were displayed in those blue-violet eyes. He could only hope that in looking into his own eyes, Duo could read the depths of his sincerity. He knew his former lover could recognize the true intent of his words if he looked hard enough. After all, he'd seen that look before, for it had been present the first time he confessed his love to his fellow gundam pilot during the turbulent first war.

Falling in love and saying I love you hadn't been easy for the boy soldier who'd had his emotions trained out of him. If it hadn't been for Duo, his patience and support, Heero doubted he would ever have been freed from the harsh training that caused him to set his emotions aside in order to accomplish his missions. It had been a risk to fall in love with the brash and attractive pilot from L-2, and yet he had. And even after acknowledging to himself his growing attraction and feelings for Duo, he continued to engage in a mental tug of war, desiring Duo as more than a comrade and recognizing the distraction the Deathscythe pilot posed to his mission to win the war at any cost, even his own life.

The threat of being found out by Dr. J had also been a frightening factor. Being called back to L1 for retraining because of his feelings for Duo precipitated many nightmares that impaired his sleep and performance. He recalled how Duo had cornered him during one of those periods, concerned for his haggard appearance. With Duo standing close enough that he could smell the scent of his shampoo and see the aching concern in those marvelous eyes of his, he'd blurted out his pent-up feelings for the American. Duo had listened to his clumsy confession of love and to his logical reasons for not getting involved. It was the spontaneous kiss the braided teen gave him the moment he'd stopped speaking that had ended the tug of war he'd been waging in his mind. One touch of their lips and he knew he'd risk everything for the other teen, for the promise of being together and discovering what love was all about.

Looking back now and despite their breakup, he couldn't regret having fallen in love with Duo. But that wasn't the way he'd felt on that day well over three years ago when the trust they'd shared had been broken along with his heart. Heero had cursed himself that day for ever letting Duo Maxwell break through his defenses and he'd instinctively fallen back to his training, using the mental tools Dr. J had worked so diligently to instill in him to find comfort in the familiar detached void. He wanted nothing more at the time than to eliminate the overwhelming emotions that threatened to tear his world apart. Somehow, he'd held onto that training for far too long and had pushed to the back of his mind his feelings for Duo, their children and former friends. Well, he mused, he was older now and hopefully a bit wiser. Now that he'd been reunited with Duo and their children, his control over his emotions was rapidly slipping away and he felt ready to try again, to open his heart to the two children he'd once called his own.

"I'll have to think about it," Duo answered, lowering his eyes to the cutting board. His chopping motions having calmed somewhat. "How are you doing, Ali?" he called out to the boy in the other part of the room.

"All done, Daddy!" Alairic replied. Heero turned around to see the completed puzzle and saw that it was a picture of a red barn, farm animals and a farmer on a tractor. "Want to try another?" he asked, moving back to the coffee table.

"K."

Scooping up the pieces and putting them back into the plastic bag, he sealed and placed it back into the box. Heero reached for another and studied the pieces for a moment. This one looked like a picture of a fire truck, firemen and a dalmatian. "This looks fun," he said, turning to look at the little boy.

Alairic slapped the table surface, anxious to begin, so Heero gave him the bag and let him dump the pieces out. The little guy did the simple task with relish then set to work with a concentration that reminded him of himself. Seeing that his son was content once more, Heero returned to his place at the bar and watched as Duo started a pot of rice and set up a steamer for the cut up pieces of chicken.

"I see you brought beer with you," Duo said without turning away from his task at the stove.

"I thought we could sit down and have a drink or two while we talk," he answered.

"I don't drink anymore. So could you take it with you when you go home?"

That statement automatically got his curiosity up. "Do you have a problem with alcohol?" In the past, Duo always liked to have beer on hand and enjoyed one every now and. Occasionally, he'd get drunk if they were at a party, but he never thought his lover had a problem with alcohol.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah, I did for a while, right after you left." He paused at his task at the stove after putting a lid on the pot of rice, and his voice lowered. "I started drinking a few days after you walked out. I stopped for a while in order to focus on getting the kids set up in daycare a couple of weeks later after being hired on at the Preventer's office. But after working all day and then coming home to take care of the kids, make dinner, take care of the house and pay the bills, I needed something to take the edge off so I could sleep. Then Ali got sick and I spent as much time the hospital only to return to a house that seemed empty and void of the warmth it used to have. The memories of us as a family was in everything around me at home: the furniture we bought, the sofa that had seem more than it's share of lovemaking, the pictures all over the house of you and the kids, and even the T.V. shows we liked... Everything reminded me of you and it just got to be too much. I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done, how you'd reacted and what a mess our lives had become. That damn house was a constant reminder of what we'd had and how I'd screwed up." Duo paused a moment and to Heero it looked as if he were trying to collect himself. He continued in a strained voice. "With each passing day my hope that you'd call, that you'd forgive me and we could work things out, diminished. I proceeded to drink myself into a stupor each night, even after Ali came home from the hospital. "Wufei was the first to figure out what was going on and he went to Quat and Trowa for help. The guys got together at the house with me and had an intervention, so to speak. Quatre told me in that scary, no-nonsense voice of his that we're all slightly terrified of, that I had a problem. He threatened to take the kids away from me until I got my shit together, and that, if nothing else, knocked some sense into me. He meant every word, and I knew he'd follow through on his threats. I threw out all the booze that night and haven't had a drink since." Duo looked up at him then, his face a picture of determination. "The kids are my main priority and my life, Heero, and I'm not going to jeopardize losing them by giving into a need to blur reality with alcohol."

Heero wondered if it was possible to feel any more guilty than he already did. It was perfectly clear that Duo had suffered greatly from their separation. "I'm sorry." It was all he could think to say.

"My problem, not yours," Duo muttered, busying himself once again, this time in wiping off the counter tops with the anti-bacterial cleaner.

The urge to embrace the other man was so strong that Heero found himself standing right behind Duo before he realized what he was doing. Impulsively, he took the last step that separated them and wrapped his arms around the other man from behind. Duo stiffened in his loose grasp, not expecting the sudden action. "I'm sorry," Heero whispered again. "For my neglect, for not being there and for not listening or talking to you. I'm sorry for leaving without trying to work it out. I was hurt, Duo, and didn't know how to react, so I fell back on my former training and let it blunt the pain I felt. I let that single-minded training of the past guide me, and for the first time in my life it caused me to run away from a problem. I believed at the time that beginning a new life was the only way to deal with the pain of your betrayal."

"I'm sorry, too," Duo whispered back, his voice choked as his arms came up to rest on top of those resting over his chest. "You can never know how much."

"What the hell!" A woman's voice came from the direction of the front door and the two men jumped apart as if they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't. Both turned to see Hilde and Zazu standing in the cottage's doorway.

"Zazu!" Alairic cried out, climbing to his feet and then running to his sister.

"Don't run, Ali!" Duo called out, alarmed at the boy's sudden movement.

"Got him," Hilde said, moving quickly to catch up the little boy in her arms. With Zazu at her side and Ali struggling to get to her, Hilde knelt down to allow the two to embrace. "You've got to stay calm, Ali. You know what the doctor said, no running or jumping."

The boy's bottom lip came out in a pout and began to tremble while his blue eyes filled with tears. He then turned towards Duo who was already headed for him. "Daddy."

The braided man took his son from Hilde and settled him on his slender hip. "No one's mad at you, Ali. You just can't get too excited or your heart will hurt again. When you get your new heart, we'll run and jump and go to Great America to ride on all the kiddie rides and then to Marine World to see the killer whales and seals do their tricks. You just gotta be patient for a little while longer, all right?"

"K," the little boy said, still on the edge of bursting into tears as he buried his face into his father's neck.

Duo then looked to his daughter and noted the many packages that had been dropped on the floor. "I see you two have had a fruitful afternoon," he said, grinning at the girl whose long, brown hair lay loose and fell to several inches below her shoulders. Heero noted that Eliza's returning smile was dazzling and contagious, just like her father's.

"Aunt Hilde bought me the cutest clothes, Daddy. Plus we got shoes, panties and socks. I'm all ready for school to start."

"Thanks, Hilde," Duo said, rising to his feet with Ali in his arms. It was then that he noticed that the birth mother of his children was glaring darkly at Heero.

"What are you doing here, Heero?" she asked with barely hidden spite, clearly unhappy at seeing him there.

"Hilde." Duo's voice held a tone of warning to it, and Heero wondered if he was trying to protect him or if he hoped to keep him from answering the question in front of the children. "Whatever is going on is between me and Heero, and I..." He trailed off before simply somewhat wearily, "Just let it go." Duo's eyes cast a meaningful glance at Zazu and Hilde seemed to get the hint.

"I thought his name was Odin?" Zazu asked, blinking at Heero as if wondering whether or not he was the same person she'd met the week before or not.

"It is," Duo rushed to intervene. "When we were kids we knew him as Heero."

The little girl seemed to ponder that bit of information a moment, then shrugged. "Why'd you change it?"

"I moved to a new city and began a new job," Heero answered. "I guess changing my name seemed like a good thing at the time."

"So is that dinner I smell cooking?" Hilde asked, abruptly changing the subject. It was then that Heero took a good look at the woman who had volunteered two of her eggs and her uterus to carry their children for them. After bearing three children she was still as slender and attractive as she had been when she'd first offered to be a surrogate for them. With straight black hair cut bluntly at her shoulders and her large blue eyes, she was as appealing as she'd ever been but in a more mature way. She was definitely a woman and not the girl he'd met aboard Peacemillion. No matter how she felt about him now, Heero decided he would not get angry or ever think disparagingly of her. Hilde had, after all, given him and Duo the most precious gift of all.

While he'd been looking at Hilde, Duo answered her question and then mentioned to Eliza that he'd brought ice cream for dessert.

"Chocolate?" Eliza asked him expectantly, her face lighting up.

"And vanilla," he added.

"I like nella," Alairic piped up, still in his father's arms, looking like he was feeling better.

Duo turned and began to hand the little boy to him, saying, "Go to Heero so I can finish dinner. Zazu, why don't you show Ali and Heero your new clothes and Hilde can help me in the kitchen."

Sitting on the sofa, Heero showed what he'd hoped was the appropriate amount of appreciation for each outfit that Eliza proudly held up against her petite body. Hilde had even purchased clothing for Alairic, which his sister brought out and displayed with a big smile on her face. The little boy promptly began undressing, insisting he try on the new clothing that had pictures of cartoon characters Heero didn't recognize on one part of the clothes or another. He guessed from Alric's oohs and ahhs that they were his favorite.

Behind him in the kitchenette, he could hear Hilde speaking tersely and under her breath to Duo. His deeper voice answered, but it was too low for Heero to make out, so he turned his attention to helping his son don the T-shirt and overalls. Alric looked happy enough to burst. He began to clap his hands and jump up and down excitedly when Eliza produced a sad-looking blue donkey out of a toy store bag.

"Droopy!" Alairic squealed happily. Then suddenly, the look of joy faded from his face and the little body swayed. Heero caught him before he fell and observed the boy's paling face with alarm.

"Daddy!" Eliza cried out with alarm in seeing Alric struggling to breathe. Duo was suddenly there, grabbing his son from Heero's embrace to hold him in his own arms. He sat on the sofa and held the little struggling body close to his chest, rocking back and forth as he whispered into his son's ear. "It's okay, Ali. Calm down. Shh... please, listen to Daddy and just calm down."

Heero managed to tear his eyes away from the two to look at Eliza. Her eyes, so like her father's, were filled with tears of fear while clutching the stuffed donkey that had excited her little brother in her hands. Heero reached for it and noticed that his own hand was trembling as he turned back to Duo and placed the toy in his son's arms while Duo continued to speak softly, trying to calm the little guy. After a few long and tense moments had passed, Alairic's trembling voice was but a whisper amidst sniffles as he said, "I'm okay, Daddy. Don't cry." He raised his small hand and patted his father's face in a manner that was obviously meant to comfort.

Broken laughter came from the braided man and he buried his face against his sons chest, his shoulders shaking as he released some of the terror he'd just experienced. After several long, drawn-out moments, he raised his wet eyes to see that everyone else in the room had been as terrified as he'd been.

"I'm sorry, Duo," Hilde gasped, openly crying. "I didn't think he'd get that excited. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Hild. He's okay now. Here, why don't you sit down and hold him until dinner's ready."

The petite woman was more than grateful to bend down and receive the little boy into her arms and she rained kisses upon his face, wet with tears, as she sat down on the sofa.

Heero stood with a hand on Duo's arm and helped him to rise also. Zazu was there in an instant, throwing her arms around her father's waist, still very much upset by the whole ordeal. "It's okay, honey," Duo said softly, sniffling back his own tears. "Why don't you go put your new clothes away and you can model them for me later tonight, after Ali goes to bed."

"Okay," she said, sniffing. A moment later she let go of him and began picking up hers and Ali's clothing and dutifully took them into the bedroom.

Without a word, Duo turned and walked into the kitchen. Heero watched him go and hesitated a moment before following. From the short distance that separated them, he watched Duo busy himself, stirring the contents of the pans and turning off the gas to all three. As he reached into the upper cupboard for the dishes, the braided man suddenly stopped. Both hands lowered to grab hold of the edge of the counter top and he bent his head below his shoulders. It wasn't until his shoulders began to shake that Heero understood that Duo Maxwell was falling apart. Approaching cautiously, not really knowing how to comfort but wanting to try and give it, he placed his hand on the other man's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"He's all right, Duo. Everything's going to be okay."

The braided man nodded his head even as he struggled to compose himself. Turning away for a moment, he pulled a paper towel from the standing roll and wiped at his face. "Are you all right?" Heero asked when Duo didn't turn around.

"No," came the emotional whisper. "But I will be once he gets a new heart."

"How long have you been waiting?"

Duo took in a deep, shuddering breath, steadying himself. "He's been on the heart transplant list for a year and a half and at the top of the list for three weeks."

"I'm sure one will come along soon," he told him, trying to be comforting again. When Duo finally turned around, the anguish in his eyes made it clear that he really hadn't helped comfort him at all.

"That's another thing, Heero. In order for our son to live, another child has to die. How can I pray for a heart for him when that's the case? I can't wish for another parent to go through the hell I've been dealing with."

Heero wasn't sure what to say in response to that, but he was spared trying when Duo continued, obviously needing to after his scare. "And every week that passes, his heart weakens. It's a race against the clock and one that we can't lose. I don't think I can survive losing him."

"He's my son, Duo. He's got strong genes and he's loved. He's got every reason to live."

Duo's distraught, water-filled eyes rose to meet his, and even in his sorrow, Heero was taken aback by how beautiful they were, how stunning Duo was. The unusual blue orbs were truly the mirror to the other man's soul, and even after all that had happened between them and all the time that had passed, Heero was still drawn in and captured by what he saw displayed in those luminous depths.

"He's also got your blood type," Duo whispered sadly, and Heero knew instantly why that was not a good thing. Though not rare, being an O negative meant that neither he nor his son could receive blood or organs that were anything but from that specific blood type. If he'd been any other blood type, then there would be other options. Being O negative narrowed the donation pool even more.

"He'll be fine," he reassured the braided man, willing his words to be true. Duo nodded, then turned and busied himself once more. Heero decided then and there that he would go to the nearest blood bank in the morning and donate his blood in Alairic's name.

Hilde came into the kitchen carrying their son in her arms. Alairic looked tired and droopy-eyed. She gave him to Duo, ignoring Heero who turned to set the plates on the counter. Eliza came into the room behind them and began to get out her brother's little table and chair.

"Don't bother, Zazu," Duo told her gently. "I'll hold him during dinner. There's just no space for it tonight."

Heero had an idea there was more to it than that, suspecting Duo just wanted to hold his son close after their earlier scare. He felt the same way, but resisted in asking to hold his Alairic when he saw Hilde tenderly kissing the little guy's cheek, whispering, "Don't fall asleep yet, Ali, or you'll miss your ice cream."

"Iz cream," Ali yawned, trying to fight his sleepiness.

Hilde took over placing the food on the plates in order to avoid the shuffling of serving bowls. Heero noted that the steamed chicken had been given a mushroom soup gravy and was poured over a bed of rice. The steamed carrots and green salad gave each plate a splash of color.

Duo moved to sit on one of the bar stools, holding Ali on his lap and supervising his meal while Zazu took up the other stool and cautiously watched her brother. Heero stood next to Hilde on the kitchen side of the bar, and together the five ate quietly, the mood in the room subdued. The ice cream was brought out promptly after the meal was declared over because Alairic didn't look like he was going to be awake much longer. By seven thirty the four-year old boy had been bathed, dressed in his pajamas, received his medicine and was asleep in Duo's arms. Heero watched it all from a short distance with an ache in his heart, still feeling a desperate need to touch his son, to hold him in his arms.

While Duo had been busy getting their son ready for bed, Hilde had volunteered to take Zazu to an early movie. It was obvious to Heero that she'd been uncomfortable in his presence, that she didn't know what to make of him being in Duo's home. It didn't matter if she resented him or not, if she was wary and didn't trust his motives; he was determined to be a part of this family once again, no matter what Hilde or any other of their friends thought. The only person he needed to persuade of his true intentions was Duo.

Feeling the other man's eyes on him, Heero looked up from the peaceful face of his son to regard his former partner's gaze. A small, sad smile tugged at the corners of Duo's lips as their eyes met.

"Wanna hold him?"

Heero swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "More than anything."

He moved to sit next to Duo on the sofa, who promptly yet so very carefully placed the slumbering child in his arms as if he was the most precious thing in the world. In that moment, Heero knew that he was. The feel of the warm little pajama clad body in his arms was wonderful, and the clean scent of his hair and skin had his heart swelling within his chest as he gazed adoringly at the sweet, placid face. "He's so beautiful," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "And I've missed so much. I'm sorry," he said to both Alairic and Duo. "I was so selfish. I've missed so much of his and Eliza's life."

The television show they'd been watching was the only sound in the room as memories of the past and regrets came to both men, but they held back from saying anything, not wanting to disturb the comfortable silence that surrounded them.

For over an hour Heero gazed at the little boy in his arms, taking in every detail of his face and body while trying to cope with his feeling and emotions for both his son and the man next to him. Duo was sitting close enough that their upper arms rested against each other's. It was a touch that was both comfortable and wonderfully familiar.

The phone rang and Duo moved quickly to answer it. From his brief greeting, Heero could tell he was speaking to Wufei. Duo took the phone into the bedroom to talk, and though he knew he shouldn't, Heero strained his ears to hear what was being said. He wanted, no needed to understand the nature of Duo's relationship with Wufei. No doubt they were close, as Eliza had spoken of Wufei's help and Duo talked of his relationship with their children. The fact that Wufei came for a weekend visit spoke volumes about his support for Duo and the kids. He closed his eyes to center his thoughts as a wave of jealousy filled him. He had no right to feel jealous, he reminded himself. If Duo had moved on, who was he to say he shouldn't have? He'd tried his best to do the same, slept with several people, all women, in an effort to forget the long-haired former gundam pilot who had held his heart and crushed it.

Even though it had been three years, he now realized that he'd only pushed aside his thoughts and feelings for Duo, thanks to his former training, and he'd ignored the fact that he still loved him and their children. How could he have ever convinced himself that he was better off without them? As he'd told Duo earlier, he'd more or less run away from them, from the pain, perhaps unconsciously not wanting to give the children a chance to hurt him as their father had. It dawned on him that it wasn't only his family that he'd kept at a safe distance. He'd used his training to keep everyone he'd met during the last three plus years at arm's length, whether at work or in a romantic relationship, to keep himself unaffected and distant. What a sad existence he'd created for himself

Looking down at the little boy asleep in his arms, he knew he didn't want to do that any longer, and he also knew exactly what he did want, and that was Duo and his children back in his life. With all his heart and soul he hoped it wasn't too late.

The door to the bedroom opened and he turned his head to watch Duo put the phone back in place before coming to stand in front of him.

"Here, let me take Ali and put him to bed," Duo said softly, even as he bent forward to accomplish the task. He reluctantly gave up the little boy, still sleeping soundly, and watched as Duo disappeared into the bedroom. A bit of his heart went with him.

When he returned several minutes later, Duo resumed his seat and picked up the remote, changing the channel to some kind of crime investigation show. "Hilde and Zazu should be back soon," Duo said, then let the subject drop.

Heero looked around the small cottage. "There's three of you living here and one bed. Do the three of you share it?" he wondered out loud.

"I've got a small cot in the bedroom that we set up every night. Zazu sleeps on it in her kitten sleeping bag. I share the bed with Ali."

"You've done a great job with the both of them, Duo. They're great kids."

The other man's eyes remained focused on the T.V., but his face softened as he replied. "Yeah, they are."

Several moments of silence passed between them as they both stared ahead at the television screen, but Heero couldn't concentrate on the program. His thoughts were centered on Duo, sitting so close. From the corner of his eye he watched the other man, and before he was even fully aware of it he found himself staring at the familiar profile. Duo shifted in his seat and changed the channel after a commercial came on. Heero realized his former lover was aware of his scrutiny and was trying to ignore him.

Taking advantage of the situation, he leaned towards Duo, just slightly, breathing in the floral scent of his shampoo and the faint musk of his aftershave. The scents were familiar and heady, and a jolt of pleasure ran from his sinuses all the way to his groin.

"What?" Duo asked, sounding perturbed as he turned his head to look at him, a puzzled expression on his handsome face. They were now only inches apart and Heero couldn't stop himself as he closed the distance between them, aiming his lips towards Duo's. He was somewhat surprised to find he'd missed his mark and landed on a hair covered ear instead. Two hands, suddenly placed squarely on his chest, pushed him back.

"Don't!" Duo said firmly

Realizing that he'd over-stepped his bounds, Heero muttered an apology, even if it was only half-heartedly given. He wasn't sorry for almost kissing Duo, just that the other man didn't seem to want it.

"You should probably go."

With a resigned sigh, Heero stood and looked back down at the seated man. "Can I come back tomorrow or Sunday?"

Duo shrugged and answered in a lazy, unaffected manner, "We don't do anything exciting around here, but if you want to, it's alright by me."

Surprised but more than pleased by the answer, Heero felt much better as he left the cottage and began the drive back to San Francisco. He caught a glimpse of himself in his rear view mirror and found himself happily grinning. Regardless of Duo's stand-offish reaction to his almost kiss, he wouldn't let it dampen his hope, because his former lover said he could come again, and he would... tomorrow.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**The Call  
****Part 6**

**WARNING: ANGST**- For those of you who don't like being told ahead of time by the story's warnings what's going to happen next, read on. For those of you who prefer to read the end of a book to find out if the hero wins the day or even survives (or if you're not sure you can handle the angst) go to the bottom of this chapter for a more detailed warning.

---------------

Heero arrived back at the cottage around noon the following day, carrying bags filled with Come & Get It burgers, french fries and milk shakes that were enjoyed by all. Since the day proved to be relatively warm they decided to take a ride in Hilde's rental car to the beach where the three adults hovered over Zazu and Ali as the children delighted in the sea foam and built sand castles at the edge of the shore. They had been there only an hour when Ali began to droop with fatigue, bringing an abrupt end to the outing. The five made a hasty dash back to the cottage where the little boy slept soundly for several hours.

Before he left that evening, Quatre and Trowa had called to catch up on the latest news about Ail's condition and any word concerning the hoped for transplant. Wufei also called just as he was leaving for the night. Duo simply referred to the Chinese man's call as his daily check in, to see how things were going.

Heero returned to the cottage on Sunday, just after noon again, with deli sandwiches for everyone. He noted a lowering of hostility from Hilde and that Duo seemed to be relaxing from the initial tension his close presence seemed to have caused. After lunch, Hilde suggested a trip to the Exploratorium of Science in Golden Gate Park, but Duo declined, not wanting to expose Ali to crowds and all the germs they carried. Hilde took Zazu while Heero stayed behind to keep Duo and Alairic company.

The two men watched a whimsical movie with the four year old who spent most of the time quietly playing with his puzzles or stuffed animals. Wufei's daily call came as the credits rolled, so Heero volunteered to put their son down for a nap while Duo took the call. After only a moment's hesitation, Duo agreed to the offer.

Once Alairic's hands and face had been wiped clean, Heero removed the miniature tennis shoes from his son's feet and set the little boy down on the bed. As directed, he carefully placed all his stuffed "doggies" around him and then asked, "Comfortable?"

The sleepy boy nodded and said, "Sing a song."

Heero pulled up a memory from the past, recalling that Duo usually told a story or sang a song to the kids before he put them to bed. The only song he could think of was the one they'd just heard on the video they'd watched earlier. It was silly, really, that a farmer would sing to a despondent pig. But the song was short, the words sweet and the tune was easy to remember. So in a soft voice he began to sing the song as he sat on the edge of the bed next to his son and brushed his fingertips gently though the dark hair, pushing away from his forehead as he coaxed him to sleep.

_If I had words to make a day for you,  
I'd sing you a morning golden and new.  
I'd make this day to last a life time.  
And fill your nights deep in moonshine_.>>

He wasn't the best of singers, but Heero knew he could remember almost any tune and sing well enough for the song to be recognized. He repeated the song five times before Ali's fluttering eyes closed for the last time and he drifted off to sleep. After singing the song once more for good measure, Heero bent to kiss the perfect little cheek, mentally sending all his love to his beautiful son.

Silently tip-toeing out of the bedroom, he found Duo off the phone and folding a load of clean clothing that had just come from the dryer. A plate of crispy rice cereal treats sat on the coffee table.

"Andrea brought over the laundry and a snack," Duo explained, neatly folding Alairic's pajamas.

"They seem like nice people," Heero said, grabbing up one of Eliza's sun dresses to fold.

"They're the best," Duo replied.

They worked side by side for a few moments before Heero gave into the urge to speak about a topic he'd been preoccupied with. "You and Wufei seem close."

Duo shrugged, "Yeah, he's been great. Always there when I need him."

"Are you involved? Romantically?"

Duo's head jerked up and there was a momentary look of surprise on his face that quickly vanished when his eyes narrowed and he glared at his ex-lover. "I don't think that's any of your business," he said, clearly angry.

Heero regretted his mistake instantly. "You're right. I was just curious."

"You've been out of touch a long time, Heero," Duo said frostily. "And your ignorance regarding your friends is showing."

He wondered what that meant but didn't dare ask in light of Duo's changed mood. He was walking a precarious line as it was with the other man and he wasn't about to blow his chance at being close to his family again by arguing or upsetting him. They continued folding the clothes while an uneasy silence grew between them.

Taking the folded clothing, Duo carefully placed them back into the basket and set it by the bedroom door. Looking around the cottage, Heero wondered what he could do to help out but everything seemed to be in place, neat and tidy. He sat back down on the sofa and was joined a moment later by Duo, who immediately put his head back and closed his eyes.

"Tired?"

Duo nodded. "Ali was up twice last night. Because he doesn't get much exercise during the day, he doesn't require as much sleep as an active child."

"Should he be taking naps during the day then?

"He needs them and so do I," he said while yawning. "I just have to make sure he doesn't sleep over an hour."

"Why don't you stretch out on the sofa and rest? I'll listen for him and take care of him when he wakes up."

Duo's head turned and one eye opened. It was clear that he was debating the proposal. Then wearily, he nodded. "Alright. Just don't let him get excited or start running and jumping. We don't want to tax his heart anymore than necessary."

Heero stood and went to the kitchen counter to pick up the baby monitor. He realized with some chagrin that it was already on. "You didn't overhear me talking to Alairic in there, did you?" he asked as Duo stretched out on the sofa.

"Yeah. You almost put me to sleep with your lullaby." A slight grin on the handsome face told Heero he was being teased. He couldn't help but smile in return.

"Do you want me to sing you to sleep, too?"

Duo snorted, his eyes remaining shut. "Nah, I don't want to play the role of the pig and you the farmer who sang to him," he said, referring to the movie they'd viewed earlier. " I'll go to sleep if you stop yapping at me."

Heero took the teasing for what Duo intended and watched the small smile on his ex-lover's face slowly fade as he drifted off to sleep.

Moving closer, he stared at the slumbering man's face, noting several creases at the sides of his eyes that hadn't been there several years ago. Life hadn't been easy for Duo, he concluded. But then again, he wondered if life was easy for anyone. "I missed you," he whispered to the sleeping man, only to be surprised when Duo answered with a sleepy mumble, "Missed you, too."

He left earlier that day, just before five and after Hilde and Eliza had returned from their afternoon outing. He'd neglected his apartment, laundry and email all weekend and he needed to tend to them before he began work the next morning. He embraced Eliza and promised ice cream the next weekend and held Alairic while asking what he'd like him to bring when he returned the next Friday.

"Gummy bears," the little boy answered, grinning happily.

"Then gummy bears it is," he agreed and hugged his son once more, giving him a kiss on his forehead before handing him back to Duo, who'd worn a soft, tender smile as he watched the exchange. As their eyes met, Heero said, "Call me if you need anything or if he goes to the hospital for the transplant."

Duo nodded. "Thanks," was his non-committal reply.

With a brief word of farewell to Hilde, who was returning to L-2 in the morning, he turned to leave, finding each step he took away from the cottage and his family seemed heavy with reluctance. He shook it off and made his way back to the city just as the fog began to roll over the western mountains that lined the coastline.

The week was long and hectic and not quite as productive as usual due to the fact that his thoughts were pre-occupied with the small family residing in Palo Alto. He was glad when Friday morning finally rolled around and he went to the office very early, determined to clear his desk by three so that he could get a head start on the rush-hour traffic going south.

His phone rang at nine fifteen and his secretary announced that he had a call from Madison. He wondered, as his finger hit the appropriate line, what his former lover wanted. He hadn't spoken to her in several weeks, since their relationship ended.

"Odin?" Her voice, he noted, was oddly tight.

"Hello, Madison. How are you?" he asked, curious but polite. She'd never made it a habit of calling him at work when they were together, so he couldn't help but wonder why she was calling now.

"I just got a call from Andrea," she stated, and the grave tone of her voice caught his attention immediately. "Odin, I... I don't know how to say this. I'm... so sorry. Andrea said Duo woke up this morning to find that Ali had passed away during the night."

"No," he gasped with horrified disbelief, his heart suddenly heavy and yet beating much too fast.

"Duo's not doing well," she continued. "Andrea and Craig have called his other friends but Wufei can't get here until tonight and his friends from L-4 are picking up Ali's mother and bringing her back with them. They won't be here until tomorrow afternoon and she wondered if you could go to the cottage and help Duo and Zazu deal with this."

Though he heard and registered everything Madison had said, Heero fervently hoped he was still in bed and having a nightmare. Alairic was fine when he left on Sunday and he had a large bag of gummy bears to bring him; he couldn't be gone. His chest hurt and he felt sick.

"Odin? Are you there?"

"Tell her I'm on my way." He choked out the words as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Odin. Call if you need anything, anything at all."

He hung up the phone feeling numb and hurting to the very core of his being. Moving on automatic, he took his car keys out of his desk and left the office, leaving behind his suit jacket, brief case and his laptop on his desk, still running. Walking in a trance of grief up to his secretary, he stood before her desk trying to formulate what he needed to say.

"Mr. Yuy?"

Blinking as if he were waking from a bad dream, he looked at the familiar woman. "My son died this morning. I need to leave to be with my family."

"Oh, Mr. Yuy. I'm so terribly sorry. I'll tell Mr. Campbell and I'm sure you can take off as much time as you need. Do you need a ride somewhere?" she asked with a look of genuine sadness and concern. Heero shook his head then turned away, heading towards the elevator that would take him to the lower parking garage.

He didn't remember much of the drive out of the city, nor the ride towards Palo Alto. His body functioned on automatic as his mind sorted through his few memories of the beautiful boy he'd held and sung a song to the weekend before. His thoughts drifted to Duo and Eliza and how hard they must be taking Alairic's death. Feeling his own grief churning within him, begging to be let out, he fought to keep it down, telling himself that he needed to be strong for his remaining family. He tried to use his former training, tools he'd used until recently to block out his feelings for Duo and his children, but for some reason he wasn't able to completely block his grief nor stop the tears welling in his eyes, blurring his vision.

He was a bit surprised to find himself parked outside the now familiar residence of Andrea and Craig Olsen. He remembered to turn off his car and lock the door before he made his way to the gate that would take him to the backyard and the little cottage. As he approached the small structure, he could hear Eliza crying through the screen door. He walked inside without knocking and saw Andrea sitting on the sofa, holding Eliza on her lap and rocking her back and forth, attempting to comfort the grieving little girl. The closing of the screen door alerted them to his presence and two sets of grief-stricken, red and wet eyes rose to meet his own.

"I'm glad you could come so soon,"Andrea said in a shaky voice, obviously struggling to hold her emotions in check.

Heero went to the sofa and knelt in front of to the two. Eliza turned towards him, her large eyes filled with sorrow. "Ali's dead, Odin," she cried. Heero reached out and pulled her from the other woman's embrace and held his daughter close to his heart.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in a voice choked with emotion. "So sorry about everything."

He held her trembling body close to his own, trying to give and receive comfort from the contact. Raising his eyes to look at Andrea, he asked the question that was foremost in his mind. "Where's Duo?"

"In the bedroom," she answered, dabbing at her eyes as her chin quivered. "After Craig signed the death certificate, the mortuary came to take Ali. Duo was beside himself and my husband felt it necessary to sedate him."

Kissing Eliza, Heero said softly to her. "I think your daddy needs me, Eliza. Can you stay with Andrea for a little while so I can go to him?"

The little girl nodded her head and went easily back into the woman's motherly embrace and buried her face into Andrea's shoulder. Heero stood and quietly thanked Andrea, then made his way to the bedroom door. With his hand on the doorknob he paused, taking in a shuddering breath while trying to compose himself. I have to be strong... for him, he told himself. Then straightening his shoulders, he entered the darkened room.

Duo was on the far side of the bed, in the place where Alairic had slept previously, surrounded by all of the little boy's stuffed animals. Heero's heart seemed to trembl within his chest with each step he took towards the man who still had possession of his heart. Wearing loose pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, Duo was curled in a fetal position, clutching the familiar red doggie blanket to his chest. His former lover looked anything but peaceful, even while sedated. His face was pinched with grief and the tracks of his tears were visible on his cheeks.

Reaching out a trembling hand, Heero lightly touched Duo's face and heavy-lidded, red-rimmed eyes gradually opened and a hitched sob escaped the braided man. "Oh God, Heero," Duo gasped. Without any forethought, Heero opened his arms and found them filled a moment later with the anguished man. He held Duo tightly to him and was vaguely aware that the trembling of the other's body matched his own as they both tried and failed to cope with the loss of their little boy, tragically taken from them much too soon.

Time and everything else faded as they held each other, and when Duo's body grew still and heavy in his embrace, Heero realized that the sedative must have finally kicked in. After a bit of awkward maneuvering, he managed to shift the both of them down onto the bed, maintaining his hold on the drugged and emotionally exhausted man the entire time. When they finally settled, he was on his side and spooned up against Duo's back, holding him protectively in his arms. He remembered this had been the way they'd always slept when they'd been together.

Noticing the red doggie blanket still loosely clutched in Duo's hands, Heero reached over his Duo's body to bring a corner of it up to his face and rubbed it against his cheek. It was soft and warm and had the smell of the little boy now gone. He buried his face into it and let some of the tears he'd held back fall, silently grieving for the loss of an innocent child, for the pain Duo and Eliza were feeling, and for his own loss and guilt at not having had enough time to become a true father to his beautiful son. For the first time in his life, Heero Yuy cried himself to sleep, holding tightly to both the blanket and to Duo.

A light touch to his shoulder woke him in an instant. Rubbing the gumminess from his eyes, Heero turned to see Andrea beckoning him to follow her. He carefully moved away from Duo, who was still sleeping soundly, and got off the bed.

Andrea stopped in front of the bedroom door and whispered, "I think Zazu could benefit from your presence right now. Maybe you can get her to eat something or take a nap," she suggested with an expression of sympathy on her face.

Following her out of the room, he shook out the pins and needles in his left arm caused by cradling Duo's head. His eyes landed on Eliza, wedged in the corner of the sofa, sniffing as tears continued to roll down her pale cheeks. A glance at the clock reported the time to be twelve thirty. He went over to his daughter and knelt down in front of her. The girl's eyes latched onto his instantly.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

Her lips trembled as she answered, "Not so good. Can I see my Dad?"

Heero took hold of her hands and held them in his own as he answered. "He's sleeping right now, but I think that if you want to go in and climb up behind him, you could give him a hug. Will that help?"

She hiccupped and nodded at the same time.

"How about I make you some lunch?"

"Not hungry," she answered, her whole demeanor sad.

"Me either," he told her. "But your dad would want you to eat a little something to keep up your strength. Can you manage to eat something for him? Maybe a piece of fruit?"

Eliza hesitated, then nodded. "Maybe some grapes," she sniffed.

Pulling gently on her hand, Heero helped her to stand and then led her to the bedroom door. He watched from the doorway as she cautiously climbed up onto the bed and crawled across it to lie against her father's back to embrace him in the same manner Heero had earlier. He leaned his arm against the door frame and rested his forehead on it, trying to deal with his emotions, to suppress them as much as possible in order to help his family. It just wouldn't do for him to fall apart as well, not when they needed him to be strong.

"I'm sorry," Andrea whispered behind him. "Craig and I would like to offer our help in any way we can. We have three extra bedrooms and a fold out bed in the family room if you have company coming and they need a place to stay."

"I'm sure they'll want to be close and will appreciate your invitation. Thank you," Heero said, overwhelmed by the couple's kindness.

"I'll bring dinner over tonight around six, in case anyone is hungry, and I put my phone number on the kitchen table. Please call me if you need anything at all."

Heero nodded, too afraid of losing control of his emotions by speaking his gratitude again. He was almost relieved, though, when he heard the screen door close, signaling that Andrea had gone. He was grateful for her helpfulness and kindness, but he just didn't want to deal with talking to anyone at the moment.

After several minutes had passed, it became clear that Eliza had fallen asleep behind her father. They were both emotionally exhausted. He shut the bedroom door quietly and walked to the kitchen counter to find the business card of the mortuary that had taken their son. There were things to do, he knew, arrangements to be made, but at the moment he just couldn't pull himself together enough to tackle it.

Returning to the sofa, he sat down and told himself that he should probably be doing something, maybe calling someone, but he didn't know who. Surely the others would have called all of Duo's extended family: Howard and the sweepers, Hilde and Relena. It came to him in that moment that there was no one in his current life as Odin Yuy, a successful stock broker, who he was close enough to share his grief. At work or in his social relationships, other than Madison and his secretary, no one had even known that he'd had a child. Planting his elbows on his knees, he placed his face into his hands and cursed himself again for his selfishness in leaving Duo and the kids. He'd lost three and a half of the four years his son had lived, and for the rest of his life he would bitterly regret it.

Eliza came out of the bedroom an hour later, weeping anew. Reluctantly, she choked down a few chilled grapes and with little interest ate an ice cream bar. Heero decided they should keep busy and talked her into making cookies with him. It was a struggle for the both of them to carry out the simple chore of following a recipe, but between the two of them, they accomplished the task.

By the time their first batch of cookies came out of the oven, Duo emerged from the bedroom, staggering, mussed and desperately trying to focus his eyes. "Zazu!" he called out with an urgent, almost panicked voice. The little girl ran to him and flung herself into his arms. Father and daughter held each other tightly, almost desperately. Watching them closely, Heero heard Duo whisper hoarsely to his remaining child, "Don't leave me, Zazu. Don't you dare leave me, too."

"I'll never leave you, Daddy. I'm here, don't worry."

A faded memory came back in full force from the time he and Duo had just discovered their deep feelings for each other. Duo had told him how everyone he'd ever cared for had died or left him behind, and he needed his assurance that he'd never die or walk away from him. They had been so young then, and overwhelmed by the war they'd been fighting. His first reaction to Duo's request was to deny him the promise. How could he promise to never leave or not die with the kind of life they lived? But by the end of the night, he'd done just that, and to Duo, it was just as valid as any vow of matrimony. From what Duo had said, he'd already broken his promise twice, once by deserting him emotionally and then physically. And now Alairic had left him also. He knew it wasn't the time or the place to speak of it, but Heero felt an overwhelming sense of love for the other man and the need to protect him from further heartbreak. He wanted to speak binding promises to Duo once more, but he couldn't, not right now. It was going to take time and a lot of healing for the three of them to get past Alairic's death. Somehow, even though it seemed impossible at the moment, he would see that they survived this to go on. And if Duo would give him a second chance, he'd never let him go again. He knew he would never again leave the man he loved nor their remaining child. He'd denied it for too long, but they were his family, his heart and soul and he needed them. He just hoped they still had a similar feeling of need for him.

With some hesitation, he approached the two, still embracing. "Are you hungry, Duo? Can I get you anything?"

A pair of tragic, blue-violet eyes rose to meet his gaze. "What I really need, Heero, no one can give me. But I probably should have a drink of water."

Heero returned a moment later with a glass of ice water and led Duo and Zazu to the sofa. He sat in the corner, stretched out his legs across the length of it, the pulled Duo down to sit between them so that his back was against his chest. Eliza sat on her father's lap, resting her head against his shoulder while Duo rested heavily against him. The three sat together with Duo slowly sipping the water. After having his fill, he handed the glass back to Heero who placed it on the end table. No words were exchanged for a while, and it was Eliza who brought them out of their private thoughts.

"What are we going to do now, Daddy?" Her voice was unsure and tremulous.

Absently toying with one of his daughter's messy braids, it took a moment before Duo managed to answer, his emotions barely held in check. "I don't know, Zaz. I just can't think straight enough to even contemplate how to go on."

Heero tightened his arms around Duo. "You go from one moment to the next, Duo. Hour to hour, day to day. Somehow, time moves on and eventually the worst day of your life becomes less painful." They both knew he was speaking from experience but neither felt the need at the moment to revisit the past. The present alone was much too painful.

Another five minutes passed and slowly Duo's tense body began to relax against him. "He died in his sleep, Heero," Duo said, his voice little more than a whisper. "In my arms. Ever since he contracted rheumatic fever he's slept with me. I wanted to be close enough to help him if something went wrong. He was nestled against my side, his head on my shoulder when he slipped away. I didn't even realized he'd passed on." The tears and anguish from earlier were back, but instead of trying to distract or calm the man in his arms, Heero sensed that Duo needed to talk about that morning, that it would be good for him to let his grief out and to begin to deal with Alairic's death. Duo continued. "When I woke up, I could feel that he was heavy and cold, and I knew instantly, even before I opened my eyes, that I'd lost him."

Duo was openly crying now, and Eliza turned to wrap her arms around her grieving father's neck and cried along with him. Heero fought to control himself. He had to be strong for them, he told himself. "Think of this, Duo," he began, his own voice slightly choked. "There wasn't a more loved boy than Alairic. He passed peacefully in his sleep without pain or unnecessary suffering. He left this world in the warmth of his father's arms, loved forever by those he's left behind."

He didn't know if his words helped or not because Duo and Eliza continued to grieve for the bright light that had gone out in their lives.

They were in that same piled-up position when a gentle knock sounded on the door. Eliza lifted her head and jumped from her father's lap with a cry in seeing Wufei standing in the doorway.

TBC

WARNING: This chapter deals with the death of a child and the grieving aftermath.

>>From the movie _Babe_. There's also a reference to the book _I'll Love You Forever_. I know neither belong in the GW universe, but I couldn't help myself, especially the movie.


	7. Chapter 7

As per a reviewer's suggestion, I've just corrected a few mistakes and re-posted this chapter. There's no need to read this again if you've already read it. I do have a wonderful proofreader, but she did say her eyes were blurred as she went through these last two chapters. Then darn it, I never learn, I think of things to add at the last moment, usually late at night, and that's when I always make the most ridiculous mistakes. Hope I caught them all this time, but somehow I doubt it. Sorry! >sheepish grin>

**The Call  
Part 7**

Eliza flew out the screen door and into Wufei's open arms, her anguished sobs beginning once again as he held her to his chest. After a moment he set her back on the ground and with his arm draped over her shoulder, keeping the clinging little girl at his side, Wufei entered the cottage and led Zazu back to the sofa. Duo disentangled himself from Heero's arms and rose to greet the other man just as Wufei let go of Eliza to embrace him. "I'm so sorry, Duo," Wufei whispered in a shaky voice, obviously as emotionally upset as the rest of them.

"I don't know what to do, Wu. How can I possibly go on without him?" Duo asked in a hoarse whisper.

"You go on because you must," the other man replied, composing himself enough to sound sympatric yet firm. "And because Eliza Suzanne needs you as do I, Quatre, Trowa, Hilde and everyone else who cares about you."

"And me," Heero added, rising to his feet to join them and meeting Wufei's red and watery-eyed gaze.

Movement at the door caught Heero's attention and he looked around the two men and Eliza to see a young and pretty Asian woman standing in the doorway, looking hesitant, like she didn't want to intrude. At a glance, Heero could see she was as upset as the rest of them... and pregnant.

Wufei saw the direction of his gaze and turned his head towards the doorway. With a tender smile and a wave of his hand he beckoned the young woman to come inside. "Heero, I'd like you to meet my wife." He held his hand out to the young woman who walked to his side and fit perfectly under the Chinese man's protective free arm. Duo slowly moved out of his embrace as Wufei's introduction continued. "Jen-Li, I'd like you to meet Heero Yuy."

"Your wife?" Heero asked, taking a good look at the young woman who'd obviously captured Wufei's heart. She was pretty and petite with thick black hair that fell in a glossy mass just past her shoulders. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes openly displayed her sympathy and sadness.

Wufei nodded, then gazed at his wife like a man smitten by love. "We were married over a year ago and our son is due at the end of December."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jen-li, and congratulations to the both of you," Heero said sincerely and inclined his head respectfully to the each of them.

"Thank you," Wufei replied solemnly, then suddenly changed the subject. "I understand the others are en route."

"That's what I was told," Heero replied.

"Is there anything that I can do to help, any pressing needs to be met?"

An overwhelming feeling of gratitude came to Heero for the ever practical thinking Wufei. He motioned his former comrade to follow him to the kitchenette, and as he turned away he listened to Jen-Li greeting Duo. Showing the Chinese man the card from the mortuary, he said, "This is where..." He stopped abruptly as a lump formed in his throat. He took a moment to collect himself and deal with yet another wave of grief that clutched as his heart. After gaining some control back, he began again. "This is where Alairic is. Could you call them and find out what we need to do?"

With a grave expression on his face Wufei picked up the card and studied it. "I'll take the phone to the bedroom and make the call." But before he turned to go, he paused to visually assess Heero. "How are you holding up?" he asked, surprising Heero with his genuine concern for his well being.

Heero didn't think he had words to describe how broken up he felt inside. His heart felt as if it had been put through a shredder... twice. "I'm..." he looked into the dark eyes of the man waiting for his answer. He put his hand over his heart and let his former friend look into his eyes to glimpse the depths of his grief. Wufei seemed to understand his inability to express himself for he reached forward and clasped his shoulder with a strong hand and said sincerely, "I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Heero. I'll do everything I can to make this easier for both you and Duo." Heero managed to get past the lump in his throat to mumble his thanks. With a curt nod, Wufei let go of his shoulder and turned towards the bedroom with the mortuary's card in his hand.

Wiping away an errant, unwanted tear from his eye, Heero reminded himself that he needed to remain strong for Duo and Eliza. Once he'd gained some control over his emotions again, he turned to look into the living room, his eyes automatically going to Duo. The braided man was standing where he'd left him, in front of the sofa looking lost and bereft with his arms wrapped around his chest, starring at nothing in particular. Heero took note of Jen-Li, now sitting on the sofa with Eliza, who was gently touching the young woman's rounded belly to feel the kicking baby within. A look of delight grew on the little girl's face even as her red and puffy eyes displayed her continuing grief for her little brother. Though the grief that had filled the room all day had lifted somewhat at the arrival of Wufei and his wife, an air of sadness was still present. All of his instincts urged him to go to Duo and wrap his arms around him, not really knowing if it was for his own benefit or to offer Duo what comfort he had to give. After several moments of hesitating, debating with himself whether or not Duo would accept his comfort now that Wufei and Jen-Li were there, he gave into his need and followed his emotions, just as Odin had advised him to when he was a child and had trouble making a decision. Just as he began to walk back towards the grieving man, the Olsens appeared at the open cottage door, their arms laden with the food they'd prepared for their supper. With reluctance he diverted his direction and went to the door and let them in.

The evening passed quietly and Heero became even more grateful for Wufei and Jen-Li's presence. Despite the pall of grief that hung over the cottage's residents, the couple calmly but firmly took over, organizing, comforting and coaxing Duo into eating something and then taking a shower.

The Olsens extended their earlier invitation to Wufei and his wife to stay in their home, and around eleven p.m. the two reluctantly took their leave of the cottage. Heero had already decided to stay the night, planning to sleep on the sofa, but his plans were somewhat subverted when Duo laid down on its cushions, then shifted to his side and curled up into a fetal position.

"Won't you be more comfortable in your bed, Duo?" Heero asked after checking on Eliza to see she was sound asleep on her little cot, exhausted by another bout of crying as she was tucked into her bed earlier that evening.

"Can't," Duo choked out. "He's not there."

Heero understood, but Duo's decision left him in a quandary as to what he should do about the sleeping arrangements. Coming to a quick decision, he shut and locked the front door, took a pillow and blanket from off the bed and went back to the living room, turning out the lights as he went. Without explanation he offered Duo the pillow then settled down on the sofa and pressed his own body up against the grieving man. Laying his head on Duo's shoulder, he wrapped his arm around his waist then sighed with mixed feelings of contentment and relief when Duo's arms rose to hold him securely against his side.

"Thanks for being here, Heero." Duo whispered, his voice tremulous with emotion.

"There's no other place I'd rather be," he whispered back.

Both men lay in the dark for a long while, not talking but just holding each other while fighting off another tidal wave of grief as thoughts of their son's death that morning came back to remind them of their enormous loss. It felt like hours had passed before Duo's often hitched breathing finally evened out, signaling that he'd gone to sleep. Heero followed his example a short time later.

Sometime during the night, still well before dawn, Eliza joined them, climbing over the back of the sofa to lay on top of Duo's right side. It was a tight and close fit for the three of then on the one sofa, but no one complained or offered to leave.

Tangled up together, the three eventually made it through the first night without Alairic in their lives. Wufei returned to the cottage shortly after dawn and Heero opened his eyes when the front door opened almost silently. He watched as Wufei paused after seeing the three of them on the soft together, and a look of surprise showed on his face for just a moment. Then shaking his head, Wufei sighed audibly before walking past them to the kitchenette where he began to make breakfast for everyone.

After they'd all gotten up and eaten what they could, Jen-Li took Eliza out for a pre-arranged walk while Wufei took advantage of her absence to speak with the both of them about the funeral arrangement. There were decisions to be made and forms to be signed. When asked whether he wanted to bury or cremate his son's remains, Duo covered his face with his hands and broke down. He managed to convey to them that he was torn, not wanting to cremate Ali, but he didn't want to bury him in a place that wasn't his home and where he might never return to again. Wufei assured him that once he settled down, Duo could have the coffin exhumed and taken to any location of his choice.

Still dazed and conflicted, Duo gave Wufei his reluctant consent to locate a temporary burial site nearby. With that decided, Wufei then asked other pertinent questions regarding the funeral and stated that the mortuary had requested clothing for Alairic and anything else the family wanted to put into the coffin and buried with the little boy.

Moving numbly, Duo nodded and went to the bedroom with a plastic shopping bag in hand. He returned twenty minutes later and just as Heero was about to go and check on him. With red swollen eyes and a full bag in hand, Duo solemnly handed his selections for Alairic to his Chinese friend.

Wufei left the cottage a short time later to deliver the requested items to the mortuary. Heero led the other emotionally drained and lethargic man to the sofa. They sat down together and, with Heero's comforting arm around the grieving man's shoulders, they silently shared their grief. Neither man spoke. It seemed the time for words had not yet come and frankly, Heero doubted there was anything he could say at the moment that would make either of them feel better. They sat like that until Jen-Li returned with Eliza, then both grieving men attempted put aside their sadness for their daughter's sake.

The overall feeling of grief in the cottage eased momentarily again by the arrival of Trowa and Quatre, who supported a distraught Hilde between them. Heero stood back and watched as the woman who'd given them two children clung to Duo, sobbing softly against his shoulder. Turning from the sad picture they presented, he quietly greeted his former friends and received genuine sympathy and concern from two more people he'd cut out of his life. He'd wondered, since his return to Duo's life, how they would act to his presence. Would they accept him or turn away, not wanting to see or speak with him because of the pain and suffering his leaving had caused? He felt relieved that during this trying time three of his former friends seemed to have put aside any resentful feelings and animosity they may have had for him. He didn't think he was up to a battle of wills at the moment.

Trowa's green eyes were bright with unshed tears as he stood like a strong, stabilizing pillar next to his shorter partner, his arm placed securely around Quatre's shoulders as the blond hand clutched at his own chest, just over his heart. Heero knew his empathic friend's heart was going to get a workout over the next few days and he felt no small amount of sympathy for him. As if sensing his thoughts, two blue-green eyes rose to meet his own and a small, sad smile of gratitude came from the lips of Quatre Winner.

"It's good to see you again, Heero," Quatre said with some effort to compose himself. He then stepped out from Trowa's protective hold to embrace his former comrade. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Heero said, not knowing how else to respond.

The three newcomers were also invited to stay at the Olsen's home, though Andrea looked like she was about to have a panic attack, not only because she'd recognized who Quatre was, but because she'd also learned that the next arrival might be none other than the well-known Relena Peacecraft-Howell and her husband. In dazed disbelief, obviously overwhelmed by everything that was happening, the young woman could be heard muttering to herself something about what type of food and arrangements she should make in order to serve some of the most famous people on earth and the colonies who happened to be staying in her humble home. Quatre was quick to reassure her that she needn't fuss. He and Trowa didn't require anything out of the ordinary, he told her, and Relena and her husband would no doubt be comfortable staying at a nearby hotel. Andrea left the cottage a bit calmer, thanks to Quatre.

As the small cottage became filled with old friends, Heero felt he could finally return to his apartment to shower, shave and change his clothing. Stating his intentions, Trowa volunteered to accompany him. He was glad to have his company and told him so. He then reluctantly took his leave of Duo, promising him that he'd return shortly.

It felt strange, after all that had happened during the last two days, to be driving back up Highway 280 with Trowa sitting in the passenger seat of his car. Having been gundam pilots, there was so much the two of them had in common, and yet so much that they didn't. He'd always liked Trowa, appreciating his calm manner, his inner strength and stoic resolve. It was clear the former Heavyarms pilot was a perfect match for the emotional and demonstrative blond who was his lover. "How have you been, Trowa?" Heero asked the contentedly quiet man.

"Well enough," Trowa replied, his voice smooth and calm as usual. "And happy."

"I'm glad." And he was.

"And you?"

Now there was a loaded question, he thought. Instead of saying that, he answered, "I've been... coping."

"And now?"

Heero's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he shook his head. He didn't have the words to express how his grief and guilt were tearing him up inside. As usual, Trowa didn't pry, but he did seem to understand anyway, and the rest of the ride to his apartment was made in comfortable silence. Heero didn't feel like talking, but he was grateful for the other man's company, for his strong, undemanding, calm and steady presence.

Unlocking the door to his apartment, Heero held it open for Trowa to enter, then followed him inside. His companion's eyes wandered over the immaculate room, taking in the straight, modern lines of the decor that Heero now felt expressed a feeling of detachment rather than giving off the impression of a comfortable home.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to take a quick shower and pack a few things."

Trowa nodded and moved about the room, studying everything as if it held a clue to Heero's life during the last couple of years. For some inexplicable reason, Trowa's scrutiny of his things, of his life, left Heero feeling uncomfortable as he turned and made his way to his bathroom.

Freshly showered and shaved, Heero felt somewhat better. He dressed in jeans and a dark blue polo shirt then quickly packed a garment bag with enough clothing for three days plus his black suit for the ... He didn't want to think about what was going to happen on Wednesday. He just had to get through the next few days and be strong for both Duo and Eliza. He could fall apart after everything had been said and done and after he returned back to his apartment where he could grieve in private.

He noticed the blinking light on his answering machine, indicating he had messages. He hit the play button and listened to the voices of people from his office expressing their condolences for his loss. His boss called as well and, after expressing his sympathy, he assured "Odin" that he was to receive a generous amount of bereavement time with pay. Heero was somewhat surprised and grateful that there were people in the new life he'd carved out for himself who cared enough about him to call. The last message he played was from Madison. She extended her sympathy once again and offered her support before abruptly ending the call after her voice choked. He knew he'd been fortunate to have found such a lovely person to spend his weekends with, but he knew now, after all that had happened, that she was definitely a part of his past. He didn't know exactly what the future had in store for him, but he was determined to have his former friends and family back in his life once more.

He emerged from his bedroom with his toiletry and garment bags to find Trowa had opened the sliding door and was standing on the balcony calmly looking out over the city towards the bay and the two famous bridges that spanned it. Joining his friend, the two of them stood side by side in silence, taking in the scenic view as the day waned. Heero realized that this was the place where he stood on that early summer morning when he'd received the phone call that would ultimately change his life, the call from Duo looking for a place to stay.

Without turning away from the view, Trowa asked in a soft, level voice. "Do you still love him?"

There was no doubt about who he was referring to. "Yes."

"What are your plans concerning Duo?"

Leaning his forearms on the metal railing, Heero ducked his head down between his shoulders, looking at the street far below. "I don't know," he answered, feeling anguished by his lack of foresight. The past, present and future were intangible things right now. His guilt and sorrow over Alairic and his family overrode any coherent thoughts about the future.

"Nice place." Trowa changed the subject abruptly and turned to lean on the inside edge of the railing, facing the inside of the apartment. "What are you're doing now, job wise?"

The two former friends then spent some time going over their respective lives. Heero had known Quatre and Trowa were together, but hadn't realized that the blond had made his lover an equal partner in his business, which meant equal work and responsibility. Trowa told him that he and Quatre were considering following his and Duo's example, taking Catherine up on her offer to be a surrogate mother for them so they could have a child of their own.

Heero managed a smile for his friend, for his happy life and future.

"Things will work out," Trowa said suddenly, still a man of simple speaking, but like Wufei his words always seemed to hold some deeper wisdom.

"We should get back," Heero said, then turned to enter the apartment. Locking the balcony door after Trowa followed him in, he closed the curtains, making the room dark once again.

Trowa led the way back to the parking garage and to Heero's car, and the quiet drive back to Palo Alto commenced. It wasn't until the car was parked outside the Olson's home and after Heero had turned off the engine that Trowa spoke once again. "We still consider you our friend, Heero. If things don't work out with you and Duo, know that you're still one of us and that we care about what happens to you. Don't shut us out again unless you really don't want to be a part of our lives."

"I was wrong, Trowa," he admitted in a small voice with his eyes averted from the other man's gaze. "I should have stayed and worked things out with Duo. If I had, we'd probably still have Alairic with us."

"We all make mistakes, Heero, and we can't change the past or what's happened. There's no sense in blaming yourself for something that was beyond your control."

Heero shook his head, denying the offered comfort. He opened his door and climbed out of the car. Going to the trunk, he removed his two bags, then locked the doors after seeing Trowa had also gotten out. He knew that Trowa's words made sense, but he couldn't help blaming himself for his son's death. If he'd stayed and worked things out, Duo would have remained home and then Alairic wouldn't have had to go to a daycare center where he'd contracted rheumatic fever that, in turn, damaged his heart. He stood next to the former Heavyarms pilot and gazed absently at the large house before him, not really seeing anything at all.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and brought him out of his dark thoughts. He looked up into Trowa's sympathetic face as the other man said, "It might not be too late, Heero. I can see Duo gravitating towards you, reaching out once again. He obviously needs you in his darkest hour. Reach back, if that's what your heart tells you to do." Then suddenly, the calm, placid face changed slightly, and a warning sparked from the emerald eyes and the taller man's voice lowered into a tone of warning as he continued. "But if you ever hurt Duo again, like you did when you left him and the kids, I'll hunt you down and sabotage any happiness or success you hope to have in the future." There was no venom in his voice as he uttered his calmly spoken threat, but Heero had no doubt the other man meant every word and that he was more than capable of carrying it out.

He gave a nod to Trowa, indicating that he understood, and together they walked towards the sidewalk at the side of the house and made their way to the cottage in the back yard. As soon as they entered through the front door, Heero had proof of Trowa's earlier words when Duo's eyes locked onto his own. In those incomparable orbs he recognized a look of relief in them. It was clear that Duo was glad to see him. He set his bags down and went immediately to his former partner's side and embraced him. "How are you doing?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"I don't know," Duo answered with a tremor in his voice as held tightly to him. "But I'm glad you're back." The braided man then paused a moment and took in a deep breath before unexpectedly adding, "You smell good."

For some reason that simple compliment meant so much more than Duo had probably intended. Giving the braided an extra squeeze of gratitude, Heero called on all his willpower to let the other man go and step back. "I'll just put my things in the bedroom and be right back, all right?"

Eliza followed him like a shadow into the other room and watched as he set his bag down in an unoccupied corner. "You're Ali's real dad, aren't you?" she asked timidly, her eyes wide with an emotion that was hard to decipher.

Taking a deep breath, Heero moved towards her and knelt down in order to be at the little girl's eye level. "Yes," he answered sadly. "I'm Alairic's dad."

"Where have you been?" she asked with a trace of anger in her voice. "Ali needed you and so did my Dad."

He didn't know if he had the strength or heart to tell her the truth, but it was clear she needed some kind of explanation from him. "When you and Alairic were very young, your Dad and I had some problems and we split up. I left because our breakup hurt so badly."

The little girl's blue-violet eyes began to water up. "Didn't you love us anymore?" she choked out.

"Of course I did," he rushed to reassure her by gently placing his hands on her slender shoulders. "But I guess I worked very hard to push everything out of my mind including all the hurt and even the love I felt for all of you. I knew your Dad would take care of the two of you, so I didn't think my leaving would be a problem. At the time I thought it was for the best, but I was wrong, Eliza, so very wrong. I hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me."

The little girl sniffed and rubbed at her red-rimmed eyes. "You must be very sad that you weren't around to be Ali's Dad."

"Yes, I am very sad and very sorry for not being here to help."

Eliza then closed the short distance between them and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Guess everyone is sad," she said, sniffing again.

"Yes, we all are," he replied, his heart heavy and near to breaking into pieces within his chest.

The five men and Hilde conversed in low voices well into the evening, and after midnight, their guests made their way over to the main house where the back patio light had been left on and the door open for when they were ready to retire. Eliza had been tucked into bed around ten o'clock, emotionally exhausted from yet another day of grieving for her brother. The sofa was once again the place chosen for sleeping that night, but this time Heero rested on his side and against the back cushions of the sofa with Duo resting in his arms, pressed against his chest. Eliza remained in her bed until six the next morning before she woke up and remembered the reason for her sore eyes and ever present tears.

Together, Wufei, Trowa and Quatre made all the preparations for the funeral over the next few days, buying the plot, casket and flowers. At Duo's request, the funeral was scheduled to take place at the local Catholic church on Wednesday at eleven a.m.

With each passing day, Heero felt more in control of his emotions. Duo, too, though undeniably sad and at times depressed, seemed to be coming to an acceptance that Alairic was gone.

The morning of the funeral began with gray, dense fog hovering in the sky overhead. The weather reports indicated it would burn off by noon. Everyone rose from their beds in a somber mood and nibbled without appetite at toast, coffee and juice the Olsen's provided before they dressed in their very best clothing. At ten fifteen, two long and black limousines pulled up to the curb outside the Olsen's residence.

Heero kept his eyes on Duo and Eliza, both pale and barely holding in their grief under the surface of their grave expressions. When at last they arrived at the church, he escorted Duo and his daughter inside. Heero paused inside the doorway to survey the interior of the religious building. He was pleased to see the structure wasn't too large and that it was fairly modern in design, with stain glass windows depicting what Duo described as Stages of the Cross. Even without the sun shining through, the colored glass lent a cheery air to the otherwise solemn gathering. He also noted that the pews were filling up quickly and he recognized some of the people congregating. Howard and many of the Sweepers Duo had known and worked with in the past were in the third and fourth pews from the front. Hilde's family was there as well as was Relena and her husband, Milliardo and Noin Peacecraft, Sally, Lady Une and others from the Preventers organization. He didn't recognize many of the other mourners, but he was certain they had somehow been involved in the lives of Duo and their children after he'd left them.

The immediate family and their closest friends were ushered into a side room where the small, beautifully crafted maple casket sat on a light blue satin cloth that covered conveyance. Heero stood back and watched as Duo and Eliza moved forward to the open casket to say their final goodbye to Alairic. He watched as the two, arms wrapped around each other, looked down on the little boy lying in his eternal state of rest. Heero quickly closed his eyes, unable to bear watching them come to grips with their grief yet again. Once more he commanded himself to be strong, for both Duo and his daughter. He could grieve later when he was back in his apartment and all alone, but for now he had to be supportive. He opened his eyes again in time to see Duo lean over and place a kiss on his son's forehead, then taking his daughter's hand, he led her off to the side and knelt down to gather her in his arm, whispering words of comfort to her.

Heero watched as the others bid their final farewell to his son while he struggled to clamp down on his own rising emotions, determined to stay strong for a couple more hours.

It was Trowa who came to him, wearing an expression of sympathy. Without a word the taller man took his arm and led him forward. Of their own accord, Heero's feet seemed to drag while his heart began to pound violently in his chest, matching the pounding in his head as he neared the small, ornately carved box that held his son. The pressure on his arm didn't relent until he stood at the side of the casket. Trowa then gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before stepping back, giving him a private moment to say his own goodbye.

Goodbye. That one powerful word hit Heero like the blast of a buster rifle, and somehow the finality of it all provoked a release of all Heero's contained emotions, those that had been trying for days to break out. All of his former techniques at controlling his feelings were shattered by that one word, and his breaking heart was completely rent apart. His vision blurred as he gazed down on the little boy, a innocent miniature of himself dressed in his favorite red dog pajamas, his red puppy covered blanket tucked around him along with all his stuffed animals who would be guarding his eternal sleep. His son looked exactly as he had when he'd first gone to the cottage. He bent over the side of the casket as his grief rose up and overwhelmed him, no longer to be denied. In the back of his mind he heard someone sobbing uncontrollably, matching his own heartbreak perfectly. He leaned over and kissed his son's unnaturally cold forehead and let his tears fall onto the shell that had housed a beautiful soul.

He'd faced death before, caused it and observed its process, but never had death's sting been so acute. He felt an arm come around him as the distant sobbing continued and then felt himself being held. Duo's voice, sounding equally distraught, his heart just as broken as his own, whispered into his ear. Then another pair of arms came from his left, then another from behind and to his right, and he became aware of strength and support all around him. He buried his face into Duo's braid, and held onto the other man as if his life depended on it, and perhaps it did.

Eventually, the desolate emptiness that had filled him began to ebb slightly and he realized that the sobbing he'd vaguely heard had been his own. The arms around him were those of his stalwart, forgiving friends, supporting him, lending him their strength. His sobs slowly subsided, and one by one the arms around him eased away, their touch lingering as if hesitant to pull back completely. Then there was only Duo in his arms, and his face was still buried in the thick, chestnut braid that lay over the other man's shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, Heero," Duo whispered, his own voice cracking as he fought to gain control of himself. "Somehow we're going to figure out how to go on."

"I'm sorry," Heero whispered, holding his former lover desperately. "Sorry for Alairic, sorry for leaving, for being a pig-headed fool. I don't know how you can ever forgive me. I know I can never forgive myself."

He felt Duo's hand rubbing his back. "We'll talk about everything later," Duo assured him. "Let's just try to get through today, all right? We'll do it together, with Zazu and our friends."

He nodded and after a last squeeze, he eased himself back from Duo's chest and wiped the wetness from his face. "I... I'm sorry. I was trying to be strong for you," he mumbled despondently.

"I know," Duo sighed wearily. "This is the hardest thing you or I have ever done, right? It's okay not be strong all the time, not when there are others to hold us up until we can stand on our own again."

Heero nodded again, then took Duo's hand in his own and held it firmly. With a deep hitching breath, he looked to the casket behind him once more, then leaned a bit closer to the little body inside and whispered in a tearful voice, "I love you, Ali. You never had a chance to grow into the strong name I gave you, so forever you'll be Ali, our bright spirit." With his lips and chin quivering, he straightened and fought to not break down again.

"Shall we begin?" He and Duo turned together to face the priest who had come to the cottage the day before to talk over the funeral program with them.

"Yes," Duo managed to answer for the both of them. Their friends then surrounded the little casket and they all clutched their loved ones as the casket lid was closed for the last time. It was a solemn precession that left the small room and trailed after the coffin as it was rolled down the length of the church.

There was a mass to sit through before the eulogy was given, and its foreignness to Heero was a welcome distraction, helping him to gain a bit more control over his unstable emotions. Then Wufei stood, having accepted the honor of speaking about the beautiful, loving boy who had brightened their lives. He spoke briefly of Ali's long illness that had eventually claimed his life, of his loving father and sister's devotion and that the little frail boy had the miraculous ability of being loved by all who had come into contact with him.

As he came to the end of his speech, their Chinese friend stood, with unshed tears glistening in his dark eyes as he said, "While it's been said that death is no respecter of persons, riches or lofty title, he cannot be proud of taking the bright light from our lives and from this world much too soon. Today, at least, let Death be not proud." Heero knew those words would always be attached to his memory of this day just as so many moments and memories of the past few weeks were imprinted on his mind.

Duo had been right, that day, the funeral and the reality of their son's death, had been the most emotionally difficult one he'd ever survived, but somehow they came through it and survived. After the grave-side service, a light luncheon was provided by Quatre for their guests in the Olsen's home. Both he and Duo were emotionally drained and overwhelmingly grateful for the love and support of their friends. Heero thought how unfortunate it was that it took such a sad occasion to bring them all together again.

Keeping a close eye on Duo throughout the afternoon, he watched as the other man spoke briefly to Quatre and Trowa before excusing himself and going out the back door of the Olson's home towards the cottage. Checking on Eliza to make sure she was being taken care of, he was pleased to see her preoccupied by Hilde, Jen-Li and Relena, all fussing over her. Seeing that she was in good hands, he turned to follow the braided man.

He found Duo lying on his bed, in the same spot he'd first viewed his son after his three and a half year absence. Duo's head turned towards him as he entered the room and his eyes, filled with sadness, rose to meet his own. Heero was surprised to see that despite their red and puffy state, Duo's eyes were dry of their usually present tears. Climbing up onto the bed, he stretched out on his side, facing the man who held his heart and future in his hands. They gazed at each other wordlessly for several moments before Heero felt compelled to speak. "I love you, Duo." He'd hoped the heartfelt and straightforward declaration would bring a hint of joy to Duo's face as it once had years before, but the sadness they felt was still too fresh and too strong for either of them to feel or show any form of happiness.

"I love you, too," Duo finally answered with a weary sigh.

"Do you know what you're going to do now?"

Duo's eyes seemed to focus on his chest, perhaps on a button but definitely not on his face. "Zazu and I are going to go to L-4 with Quatre and Trowa and stay with them until I can get my feet under me again."

Heero felt a moment of complete panic, something he'd rarely experienced in his life. "Don't go," he blurted out, sounding desperate. "Stay. You and Eliza can come live with me in San Francisco. We'll enroll her in a private school and if you want, you can get a job, or not, I don't really care. I make enough to support all of us nicely."

Duo reached out and tenderly cupped his cheek. "I'm not in any state to begin a relationship, Heero. My heart is crushed, I'm tired and hurt more than I can say. I think it would be best if I let Quatre and Trowa take care of me for a while. They're really good at that, you know?"

Heero nodded, conceding that the two were indeed very good at taking care of their friends. He'd experienced it enough in the last few days to know he could trust them with Duo's fragile emotional state. Yet shoving reason aside, he placed his heart on the line. "But I need you, Duo. I feel... broken." He placed his hand on his chest, to the constant ache in his heart.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Duo whispered in an agonized voice, his expression pained and regretful. "But I think this is for the best."

Heero's disappointment suddenly seemed to match his grief. "I guess I can't really blame you," he said, feeling broken and hollow. "I know you probably hate me and hold me responsible for Ali's death. I can't blame you for that. It's no less than how I feel about myself."

Duo's eyes widened with shock. "I don't feel that way, Heero. How can you think that?"

"Because it's true."

The braided head shook vigorously, disagreeing with him. "Trowa told me what you said, that you blame yourself for Ali's condition. Sure, I was angry as hell when he first got sick, but I forgave you for leaving because I couldn't be filled with hate or anger for you or myself while I was trying to heal his little body. I made a choice back then, and Ali was it. I gave him my best, Heero, so I have no regrets about it. Now you need to let your self recrimination go. Maybe when I come back we'll be able to talk about our future without all the grief we feel today overriding our common sense."

"You're coming back?" Heero asked, a flicker of light flashed at the end of the dark tunnel he'd considered his future.

Duo's thumb softly stroked his cheek as he answered. "If you want me to, after some time has passed and our hearts can feel something other than sorrow, yeah. If you're sure you want to put up with me and Zazu."

Hope tripped anew within Heero's heart, and he leaned forward to give the other man a gentle, sweet kiss, then pulled him into his arms and held him against his chest. "Take all the time you need," he told Duo. "And once you're feeling better, come back to me. I swear I'll never voluntarily leave you or Zazu again."

Duo pulled back to look into his eyes, his face solemn. "And I swear to you my complete fidelity. I was lonely and weak, Heero, and forgot for a moment why we were so good together. But I'm a bit wiser now and I'll do better the second time around. I give you my word."

There were no words that could express the love and need the two men obviously felt for each other, instead they came together again to share a kiss that expressed for them their hope for the future and sealed the promises they'd just made.

"I'll email and call if you'll give me your contact information," Duo whispered against his lips.

"I'll write back and call everyday, if you'll let me," Heero said as he moved to lay on his back, pulling Duo with him, his braided head coming to rest on his shoulder while half of his body lazily draped over the top of his own with a comfortable familiarity that was welcomed. Heero tried to stifle a yawn as the emotion-filled day began to catch up with him. And soon, as sleep began to encroach upon his senses, a line from one of Eliza's books that he used to read to her before bedtime came back to him, even though it seemed half a lifetime ago since he'd spoken it.

"I'll like you for always, I'll love you forever. As long as I'm living my lover you'll be."

A sleepy chuckle from Duo in response to his declaration. "You remember that story?" he asked, without lifting his head. "I hope you know it didn't go quite that way."

"I only read it every night for over a year," he replied, with a slight smile feeling strange his lips after so many days of grieving. "Just thought I'd make it fit the occasion."

"I like your version," Duo said, yawning tiredly.

"Me too."

A moment later the room grew still with only the slow, rhythmic breathing of the two sleepy men breaking the silence that surrounded them.

"I miss him so much already," Duo whispered. "How is it possible life can go on without him, that the world can keep on turning?"

"Because he didn't take anything away from our lives, he enriched them," Heero answered, his heart still feeling impossibly heavy. "I never got to read that book to him, I'll Love You Forever. He will forever be our baby, won't he? I don't want to forget a thing about him."

Duo's arms tightened around him. "How could we possibly forget him? He's not only in our hearts and memories, but also a part of the people who were here today."

Both men settled against each other, holding each other tightly as they became lost in their own thoughts of their son, of the funeral that day, and what their coming separation would mean to their future, hopeful relationship. Duo was the first to doze off, his exhaustion having finally caught up to him. Heero kissed the top of his head, silently promising the man in his arms the moon and the stars if he would only return to Earth one day and give him another chance. Not long after, Heero also slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Call  
Dyna Dee  
Part 8**

Four Years Later

The door to the apartment suddenly flew open and Eliza burst into the room dressed in her school uniform, her cheeks flushed and a broad smile on her face. Her backpack was flung carelessly to the floor a moment before she shut the door behind her and bellowed, "Dad!"

Heero quickly stepped out of the kitchen and put his hand up, signaling for her to be quiet. "Shh... he's sleeping," he told the girl who grimaced at her mistake. She changed directions and made her way over to him wearing an apologetic grin. He bent down and happily accepted her kiss on his left cheek, then returned the gesture in kind.

"You're home early. Is everything all right?" she asked, taking a seat on the bar stool while Heero stepped into the kitchen for a moment. She accepted the plate of sliced pineapple he handed her as well as the tall glass of ice water as her after school snack.

"I went to work early so I could come home and help," he replied. "And everything's fine. Quiet, for once, thankfully. How was school?"

The girl rolled her eyes and tossed her long, thick and loose cinnamon colored hair over her shoulders. "There was a fight today," she answered excitedly. "Jenny Spencer and Chandra Brockman went at each other like alley cats. It was _so_ cool." Her grin was a duplicate of her father's. Her narrative was interrupted when a familiar sound came from the direction of the bedroom. A delighted smile brightened the girl's face as she jumped off the tall stool and ran to the bedroom door, stopping abruptly in front of it as she remembered the frequent admonition to knock before entering.

Hearing the familiar summons to enter, she did, with Heero following closely behind. The two found Duo sitting up in bed, and in his arms was a dark-haired baby girl, a very unhappy one at that. It wasn't their first experience with cholic, but having gone through it before didn't make it any easier to deal with. The pediatrician promised it would pass and the drops he'd given them were some help, but only time would make the situation better. Duo, dressed in lightweight, gray sweat pants and a white T-shirt, looked up at their entrance with noticeable dark circles ringing his tired-looking eyes. His weariness was eclipsed by the warm smile he greeted them with.

"Hey, Dad. Did you get much sleep today?" Eliza asked, going to the bed to kiss her father's cheek and then did the same to the head of the unhappy baby who looked to be working up to her usual loud squall.

"A bit, but I really do think she's getting a little better," Duo answered above the wailing. Heero put the piece of flannel Hilde had called a burp cloth over his shoulder then reached down to take the unhappy baby from the other man and put her to his shoulder. The volume of crying eased slightly when he began to rub her back in soothing circles.

"Hilde called," Heero told the two, ignoring the continued fussing at the side of his head. "She just wanted us to know she got home safely and that she'd call back later."

Duo sighed, looking tired but happy. "I don't know how we can ever thank her for giving us the Tooks."

Heero raised one eyebrow, then went ahead and rolled his eyes at the new name. "Is that the baby's nickname? I thought she was safe from that when we chose a one-syllable name for her."

"Tess is a fine name," Duo answered with a grin. "And it can't be fooled with... too much. But who says a nickname has to be a part of the original name? Tooks just..." he paused to shrugged his shoulders. "It just feels right."

"I like it!" Eliza said brightly. "And I like my nickname, too. All the kids at school think Zazu is cool ... weird, but cool."

"How about being a cool big sister and fixing your little sister a bottle?" Duo asked, smiling fondly at his eldest child. "You remember Heero showing you how to do it?"

"Yeah, I'll get it," she replied, then promptly left the room for a much quieter place in the house while Heero moved to the basket at the side of the bed table and removed from it the rubber changing pad. Using his one free hand, he laid it out on the bed, then gathered the rest of the items needed for taking care of a wet diaper.

Once everything was in place, he lay the upset baby down , her back on the pad, and adeptly undressed her lower half, pausing every once in a while to place a kiss the baby's round little face.

"She looks so much like you," Duo sighed wistfully. "Like Ali."

Heero could only nod as the familiar lump formed in his throat. Since Tess's birth they couldn't help but think often of their son, lost to them four years ago. "I'll always be grateful to Hilde for offering to carry one more child for us. Somehow I think she makes our life more complete, don't you?" He looked up from his task for a brief moment to see Duo nod in agreement, his own face appearing thoughtful.

Once the baby's diaper was changed and she was dressed once again, Heero lifted her to his shoulder, but by then the continued fussing had grown steadily into an angry wail. It was obvious Tess was not satisfied with just being changed. The three of them waited a bit impatiently for Zazu to return, which she did a few moments later, the blessed heated bottle in her hand.

"Would you like to feed her?" Heero asked.

"Hell yeah," came her enthusiastic reply.

His eyes narrowed and he shot her a look of disapproval, then turned to her father. "Duo," he complained.

"Zaz, you know you're not supposed to curse," the braided man reminded their daughter.

"When you quit, I'll quit," she replied in a cheery manner and with a smug smile, knowing very well that probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Although Duo had stopped using the more vulgar language he'd picked up as a kid on the streets and living with the Sweepers, he did like to throw out what he termed "Bible swearing", with hell, damn and the one not found in scriptures, shit, being his favorite. They both considered him very much improved, but with a new baby to raise they'd decided to be a bit more diligent about their language.

Getting back to the task at hand, Heero turned to his lover. "You stay here," he said firmly as Duo moved to get up. After seeing his lover give in and settle back down, demonstrating just how tired he truly was, he then looked to their daughter. "Come on," he said with a grin, then led the girl out of the bedroom with the baby's crying reaching a new, desperate crescendo, if that was possible. During the three weeks after she'd come home from the hospital with Hilde, it seemed all the infant had been made to do was make noise. If he didn't know it was his own sperm that had fertilized Hilde's egg, he'd wonder if the girl didn't take after her other father. Duo's voice could be quite impressive when he was angry or excited.

Setting the nearly twelve year old girl on the sofa with a pillow under her arm to help support the baby, Heero set her little sister in her lap and Zazu promptly put the bottle's nipple to the infant's mouth. There was a God in Heaven, Heero decided, when the only sounds in the room were the hitching of Tess's breath and the sucking sounds she made as she latched onto her food source.

"Let me know when she needs burping," he told his daughter, whose attention was focused so tenderly on the baby's face.

"Okay... Dad."

Heero smiled lovingly at the girl who had accepted him back into her life. His heart felt like bursting with the overwhelming feelings of love he felt for both his daughters. "Love you, Zazu," he said quietly.

She looked up from Tess and smiled back. "Love you, too."

He stood for a moment and considered all that had passed over the last four years. Getting through Ali's funeral had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Watching Duo and their daughter leave Earth with Trowa and Quatre a few days after the funeral was almost as difficult. Even though they talked weekly, it was Duo's emails that had helped him to get through the long months of separation. They'd faithfully emailed each other every day, pouring out their hearts and sharing the grief that surrounded the both of them for months after the death of their son. Slowly, Duo's emails evolved and he began to tell Heero all about Ali and Zazu during the nearly four years he'd been absent from their lives. Heero devoured every word of the long, thoughtfully written messages. He even printed them out and put them into a scrap book to be cherished and read over and over.

After Duo's departure, he'd visited Ali's grave every Sunday and placed a bouquet of flowers on the newly placed headstone of their beloved son. After several months of doing this, Duo asked him to stop. He didn't want Heero focused so much on Ali's death, as visits to the graveyard was prone to do. Instead, he wanted him to remember the beautiful boy who had lived and blessed the lives of all those who'd come into contact with him. Duo was only satisfied with his promise of limiting his visits to the cemetery to once a month, and that's what he did... faithfully. Their emails continued and their expressions of regret and sorrow eventually turned to words of love and hope for a future together. As the ninth month since their departure from Earth rolled around, Duo announced that he was ready to return to San Francisco, to Heero. He wanted to see if they could make a go of it once again.

Etched into his mind was every detail of the day his family returned to him. He'd gone to the store that morning and stocked his kitchen shelves and the refrigerator with everything he could think of that would please Duo and Eliza. The apartment had been cleaned, the bedding washed and replaced on the bed in his room and the one in the guest room that was to be his daughter's.

Not wanting to be late, he arrived an hour early at the airport and then worried the entire time about how to greet them. While nervously pacing the length of the baggage pickup, he vacillated between being warm and welcoming or cautious and circumspect, not knowing what Duo's mood was going to be. He came to the decision of letting Duo set the tone. He'd observe how the lover of his heart behaved and he would act accordingly. Once that decision had been made, he managed some semblance of composure, regardless of the fact that his wildly beating heart was threatening to burst out of his chest.

The minutes ticked by ridiculously slow until the monitor in the room displayed the announcement that the plane had landed. The moment he saw Duo walk into the baggage area, Eliza's hand tucked into his own, all attempts at being composed, cautious or circumspect fled as tears of joy blurred his vision. Not caring whether or not he was making a spectacle of himself, Heero rushed forward and threw his arms around Duo and held him tightly against his chest. He could feel the other man's hands rubbing circling on his back in a soothing gesture while he whispered in his ear, "It's all right, Heero. We're back."

Heero pulled back and was somewhat relieved to see he wasn't the only emotional one. Duo, too, had tears in his eyes, and with a shaky smile he said, "Come on, let's go home."

They quickly claimed their luggage and Heero lead the way to the parking garage. As the walked, Duo talked about their friends on L-4 and about Wufei and Jen-Li's baby. Even though his attention was on Duo, it was hard for Heero to miss the fact that Eliza was unusually quiet, almost withdrawn. He hoped it was because she was tried after their long trip back to Earth and not that she was unhappy about coming to live with him.

He led them to his car where Duo stopped abruptly to openly stare at the black, four-door sedan. "Is this new?" he asked. After nodding that it was, the braided man asked, "What happened to the sports car?"

Heero shrugged. "It was a two seat car, not meant for a family." The expression on Duo's face and the brilliant smile he flashed reinforced to him that the sacrifice of his dream car had well been worth it. He opened the trunk and deposited their luggage in the ample space, then the three entered the car, with Eliza sitting in the back seat with the flowers.

"Are these for me?" she asked quietly.

"There are actually two bouquets there," Heero answered from over the back of his seat. "One is for you, and I thought we might stop by the cemetery and leave one for your brother."

"Oh," she replied dispiritedly.

"I'd like that," Duo said, though he became as equally subdued as his daughter.

"I'm sorry," Heero said, reaching over to clasp Duo's hand. "It was a bad idea."

"No." Duo's head shook. "I think I need to see it, just to make sure everything's all right."

Maybe so, Heero thought, but the side trip definitely put a damper on the former upbeat reunion.

Unfortunately, becoming a family once again wasn't as easy as he'd hoped it would be. After Ali's death, Eliza had apparently become overly protective of her father. She was also used to having him all to herself, which lead her to become possessive of him as well. She came back to San Francisco with what only could be described as an attitude. Upon his decision to return, Duo informed him that he told her what he felt she needed to know about their break up, that they had both been at fault. He purposely left out the parts that weren't meant for tender ears. Where Eliza had been relatively open and friendly towards him at the cottage, she'd become distant towards Heero upon their return, and she seemed to cling to her father more than ever. Rebuilding their relationship became a slow struggle, and an often discouraging task. He took upon himself the task of gaining the little girl's trust and confidence. Regardless of Eliza's stubborn nature, Heero was determined to win her over. After all, what choice did he have? He loved his family and knew that he could never again survive living without them.

During the first month that they lived together, Zazu had been cautious of him, refusing his simplest offers of friendship. Eventually her buried resentment of his absence during Ali's long illness and in her life came to the surface. She associated his sudden appearance in their life with Ali's death, and Duo's growing attachment to him had caused their daughter to feel threatened. She lashed out at Heero daily and clung almost ferociously to her father. Her unhappiness at the situation and frequent outbursts kept Duo sleeping on the living room sofa bed for five long months after they'd moved into his apartment. One day Duo declared that he'd had enough. He led Eliza to her bedroom, closed the door and sat down with for a heart to heart talk. Heero didn't know exactly what his lover had said to the troubled girl, but after "the talk" things gradually began to improve and Duo made the permanent move from the sofa bed into their bedroom.

One evening after Eliza had gone to bed, Duo suggested that Heero take her out once a week. He believed that a little alone time might help the two people he loved most in the world get to know each other again. He'd agreed immediately to the suggestion, desperate to try just about anything to win their daughter's favor and, hopefully, gain a little more peace and harmony in their home.

The first few outings had been awkward, but Heero persevered and Eliza seemed to make an honest effort at being pleasant. On their fifth outing he'd taken her to a home decorating store and offered to buy her anything she needed for her new bedroom. He explained that he'd never had anyone sleep in the guest room before and he wanted her to make the room her own by putting things into it that would help her feel more at home. As long as he lived Heero knew he would never forget Eliza's response. She looked up at him with wary eyes and asked, "Why would you want to spend money on my room when you might decide next week that you don't like us any more? Then daddy and I will just have to move again and you'll have wasted your money." It was then that he understood that she had been testing him. He and Duo had spent months mending the errors of their past, healing the breach between them, confessing their wrongs and forgiving each other; but he hadn't spent an equal amount of time or energy to win his daughter back.

Despite being in the entrance of the busy store, he knelt down to be at eye level with his daughter as he answered her. "I know you probably aren't ready to believe this, Eliza, but I love you. You've been angry with me and I can understand why you don't trust me. All I can do is hope that you'll forgive me for making mistakes and assure you that I'll never, ever, leave you and your Dad again. You both mean the world to me and I only want for you to be happy."

"Then you promise not to get mad and take off on us again?" she asked, her manner much too serious for an eight year old.

"I give you my solemn word."

Those eyes, so like Duo's, studied him for a moment, then the girl simply nodded. "All right," she sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll just have to trust you. Can I have a bedspread with purple flowers on it?" He dumbly nodded, shocked that the abrupt truce that had apparently been called and by her sudden change of topic. At that point she probably knew she had him in the palm of her hand for he was willing to give her anything she asked for in return for that truce. That day he discovered that his daughter had inherited a somewhat dubious talent from Hilde - a definite knack for shopping.

From that day forward a new relationship developed between them. After another two months, he and Duo approached her about making their relationship legal once again. Eliza stood as a witness with Wufei and Jen-Li as they signed their partnership papers at city hall, and merely rolled her eyes as they embraced each other after exchanging a brief kiss when the judge declared them legal partners. She accepted him as her other parent, and he began to call her Zazu. And now their relationship had grown to the point where she was trying out the name dad for him. It had been a long time coming, he thought. And now, after all the shot-down overtures he'd made towards winning her trust and every angry word she'd hurled at him during those first couple of months after they'd come to live with him, he could honestly say it had all been worth it just to hear her call him dad.

Turning back to the bedroom, he entered the dim lit room and closed the door behind him before moving to the bed where Duo was lying down once again, resting on his back with his eyes closed. Heero climbed onto the bed and lay next to his lover then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Quatre and Trowa called," he told his lover, knowing he wasn't asleep. "They're coming in two weeks to meet our newest little lady. They'll bring Brennan with them."

"I haven't seen him since his birth," Duo said, his eyes remaining closed. "That was almost three years ago."

"Maybe now that he's older we'll see them more often."

"I hope so. I've missed everyone."

"Are you happy, Duo?" Heero searched his lover's face for any clue that he wasn't.

"Ecstatic," the other man replied with a smile of contentment forming on his face. "You?"

"I'm drunk on it."

Blue-violet eyes opened at that. "Heero Yuy drunk? Stop the presses, folks, we've got a story."

"Drunk on happiness and on you." Not able to resist any longer, Heero leaned over his lover's body, bracing his arms on either side of the man looking up at him expectantly. He slowly lowered his head to kiss the love of his life soundly. Their kisses of late had been more about their shared and treasured intimacy and less about sex. Of course, that was partially due to the fact that they'd had Hilde living with them for the last two months of her pregnancy, along with her five year old son. It had been a busy time for the five living together in the three room apartment, leaving little opportunity for the two men to spend much time together, not to mention little time for making love. Duo quit his job as head of security for several hotels located downtown during the last month of Hilde's pregnancy in order to take the expectant mother to her appointments and prepare for the birth of their daughter. When the time finally came for delivering the baby, with Hilde's water breaking as she walked down to the lobby to get the mail, the three of them had made a mad, memorable rush to the hospital in a taxi cab while Heero raced from work to join them. It was a happy day, celebrated with tears, profound gratitude and phone calls around the world and to the colonies.

They brought Hilde and the baby home a couple of days later, and everyone lived in a state of bliss for a few days more... and then the signs of colic hit like a ton of bricks. Hilde stayed with them for three weeks before she'd had enough and booked herself and her son on a flight back to L1, returning to her husband and a more peaceful home - in order to get some rest, she insisted.

When the mutually satisfying kiss came to an end, the two men remained close, with Heero continuing to hold himself over his lover's upper body, his eyes and smile were soft as he studied the tired face below him. "I love you, Duo. Thank you, for everything."

The braided man's eyes closed once more, even as he managed a sleepy smile. "No, thank you."

They were well past the "I'm sorry" stage and were now deep into the one where they expressed their gratitude. When Heero said thank you it was to express his on-going gratitude for Duo's forgiveness of his past mistakes, for leaving him and the kids and for his assumed part in Ali's illness. And most of all, he was grateful daily that he'd been given a second chance at happiness.

Duo's thank yous were no less important. With each one he expressed his gratitude for Heero's forgiveness, for his love and for coming back to him. Duo often told him he was relieved that he'd been able to meet their son before he passed away and that he'd extended the invitation for he and Zazu to return to Earth to him live with him after he'd gone to L-4 to gather what remained of his tattered heart. Duo also told him that he never would have approached him after what he'd done to cause their breakup, that he'd always considered the ball to be in his lover's court whether or not to come back to him. Heero thanked whatever power in the universe that caused Duo to take Quatre's advice to call him and enlist his help in finding a place to stay when they'd made the move to Palo Alto in preparation for Ali's heart transplant. It had been that phone call that had made their future happiness possible, despite the tragic loss of their son.

Both men settled on their sides and comfortably rested against each other, content. They were just beginning to drop off into a much needed nap when the dissonant sound of their baby's cry destroyed the peace that had blessed the apartment for less than ten minutes.

"I'll get her, you rest," Heero said with a sigh, moving to get up off the bed. His departure was stymied when Duo tightened his hold around his neck and brought him back down for a short but satisfying kiss.

"I'll make it up to you tonight," the braided man whispered in his ear, then after another quick peck on his lips in parting, he loosened his hold and let Heero go.

"After they're both asleep," Heero agreed, rolling off the mattress and onto his feet.

"It's a date." Duo chuckled as he reached over to the bedside table for his earplugs.

Heero paused at the door, looking back at his lover, his partner and his life. He used to think he was lucky to have survived two wars, but now he really knew what good fortune was and that it had truly smiled on him once again. The man on the bed and the two girls in the living room were proof of that, and he would never take the time he had with them for granted. With a smile on his face, he turned and moved towards the door, intending to relieve Zazu of her unhappy, and loudly complaining little sister. Oddly, the noise filling his once orderly life and silent apartment was music to his ears.

**The End**.

Thanks to everyone who made it through this story. Hopefully the happy ending made up for the earlier angst. You're comments and support are, as always, appreciated and I thank your for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Until next time.


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